Monday, January 7 2013
Ok, time to start writing again. On more regular terms now. Have a new (old) computer with a keyboard that works, so it will get more easy for me bothering the few that like to read these pages. A re-organisation in all pasts-posts will follow lots later this year.
Unpacking few boxes (yes, moved 18 months ago and still mostly packed) I found an old passport. On request expired passports can stay in your possession. The local councel official stamps a big hole in it. Unvallid! Not that I am so keen on keeping old passports. Have too much rubbish allready. This particular one covered the period late 80ties, the time East Europe broke up. In the years before I travelled the east regularly. Suddenly excistance stopped of countries I had border stamps and visa in my passport. I thought it was funny saving this little booklet documenting vanished political territories. Here a picture of one page:
Sorry for the bit vague image, although many stamps are now ´foggy´ due to non-moist-resistance inkt.
On the left page are many DDR (East Germany) stamps. I travelled to Berlin often (more about this in later posts). On the top left an entry into Yugoslavia, dated 1989. Must have been just before falling apart. Bottom left is an entry into Poland. Right page is a visa for Hungary, still needed in those days. What a difference with nowadays where you keep the same speed on the highway, barely noticing exit/entry another political territory.
Have many memories about those ´Eastern´ trips. Probably much has been written and filmed. Mostly these releases pass me by for some reason. The subject has been ´milked´ and fed to the hungry for entertainment masses. I come too late. Don´t care much. Now its my time. Let me amuse you with a few memories upcomming posts.
Wednesday, January 9 2013
´Ich kann die 13 nicht zu ihne bringen, sie mussen anschliessen in reihe 13´ (I can´t bring the 13 here, you must line up in lane 13). The East German border officer yelled at me with cynical smile. My German is excellent, speaking and hearing. On purpose he mumbled my number so I had to ask, What? Obviously he rehearsed this. One of the few little enjoyments allowed by his boring job. Low of rank, doomed to stand outside, whatever weather, lining up cars filled with ´filthy capitalists´.
What a border passing proces it was entering East Germany driving to (West) Berlin. Nowadays most wouldn´t believe or forgot about this. First stop; a post with little office cabin. A border officer took my pile of passports, photo checked all passengers, and took them inside. Few meters further next stop, where the ´line 13´ yelling bully directs cars. While waiting in line 13 the funiest part of this useless procedure happens. Little assembly lines, hundrerds meters long, roofed and draped with transperant plastic (weather protection) connected all border offices (spreaded cabins and buildings), transporting passports from one department to other. In the car we had a good laugh watching our passports ´rolling´ around. When done someone hands the passports back. Although I also remember leaving the car to pick them up at the final, last in line, office. All ´handled´ passports thrown on one stack on the counter shelf. Could have taken those from the cars behind me too. But whereto? Driving away from the border all there was left is a long highway to the next border control, entering Berlin. You where not allowed to turn of or stop, unless at official indicated parkings. The complete stretch of road was fenced in. Maximum speed 100km/h (63mph). This road was under total control of the Stasi (East German police). Unallowed stopping or speeding was immidiatly noticed. The horrible road condition made racing impossible anyway. Old ´Nazi´ structure of concrete plates badly connected and torn by weather. Makes you jump every 10 meters. Driving a certain constant speed simulated the feel of a train-ride.
Wonder what happened with the border officers after the fall of the East. Did they manage to keep their job (working airports, harbours and such) and had extra training learning to be nice and social towards travelers?
Friday, January 11 2013
My English spelling correction doesn´t work. Got a new (old) laptop. Despite many attempts downloading several language correction programs, all failed. It is as if this computer refuses new software. Will give it some extra attention in near future, meanwhile forgive me (or live with it) for some funny spelling mistakes.
I travelled Berlin in the ´wall´ years often. Almost all passport pages (shown few posts back) are filled with DDR stamps. For me West Berlin had a different feel in comparancy with other cities. The closed island created a different society. More freedom allowed because you couldn´t escape. One big jail! West Berlin domiciled many Germans who tried to avoid military service (compulsory in those days). The government left them there. Where could they go anyway?
One night I got robbed in a hotel while asleep. The thief must have sneaked in at night. Stupid me forgot to lock the room-door. Waking up I missed my jacket (with wallet). Found it back in the corridor, everything still there except cash (not much). Passport, creditcards and such all still in wallet. Official ID documents had no vallue and even risky to use (if stolen) in this very small, closed environment. Leaving was only possible by passing intense controls.
Often I went to visit ´the other side´ (East Berlin). Just for a stroll around. Staying mostly in Kreuzberg I crossed more often at the famous ´Checkpoint C´ (Charly) in the Zimmerstrasse. But sometimes I also took a train to Friedrichstrasse railway terminal. This terminal was was connected with West train, tram and tube lines. At a border posts you paid few D.Marks for a one-day visa.
By coincident (the trip was planned long before) I was in Berlin few days after the wall opened. It was still the early days you could only walk accros. Busy pedestrian traffic. Families meeting eachother. I was at the Brandenburger Gate, West side (the Gate was East). There was a gap roughly cut out of the wall. People passed. I wanted to step through. A policeman (Eastern) politely (politely!) asked for my passport. I showed him and he friendly (friendly!) explained I was not allowed to pass. This gate was for Germans only. Foreigners still had to go over the established crossings following procedure as usual.
Sunday, January 13 2013
Most memories travelling east I have from Berlin. I like the town until today. Berlin never ´felt´ big city. More cosy, ´one big family´. I experienced this with my Berlin friends and acquaintances. All easy going, taking care like a close cousin.
My memory is pretty blank visiting the other ´east´ territories. Only bits pop up in my mind. Probably due to too much party! In upcoming posts I will give it a try. Maybe to your regret (not mine) I don´t have pictures. In those days I experienced carying camera´s as a burden. Something more you have to watch not get stolen. Memories are good enough, even if just a bit stays in my mind, let it be so.
One of the first East Berlin neighborhoods that became ´hip´ after the wall opened was Prenzlauer Berg. Situated east of Alexander Platz. Typical Berlin apartment buildings, majestic living quarters grouped around inner courdyards. Prenzlauer Berg is squeezed between two main roads, Prenzlauer and Greifswalder strasse, starting at the ´Platz´ leaving town direction east. First clubs rised quickly in the Prenzlauer Berg. In the beginning there was the XTC, disappearing after few years. Meanwhile more clubs opened; f.e. ´pfefferberg´ and famous Knaak, a regular stop on tours. Performed there myself (first version of The System). Between soundcheck and gig the neighborhood was good for a walk. Second hand vinyl and clothes stores, indie art, little restaurants. For few years, each time in the hood, I had food in a very small restaurant. Just few square meters, no bigger than an average kitchen, holding one table, few chairs and cooking equipment (gas cookers, fridges,…). Only one person working, the owner, cooking serving cleaning. Mainly Indian/Pakistan food made fresh in front of your eyes. Takeaway was possible. Pity, after a few years the smallest restaurant I was a regular disappeared. Prenzlauer Berg slowly got overtaken by career making yuppies with their young families.
Time to return to Kreuzberg. Surprise I was how little it changed after all these years. Despite what many other say, I think the neighborhood didn´t loose much of its charm since the scene moved around endlessly desiring the new, trying other hoods. Kreuzberg still stands. Weird little bars, rockclubs, Turkish stores, its all still there. Don´t forget Kreuzberg next time you visit Berlin.
Friday, January 18 2013
Was good ´on the move´ with my posting. Now a few days nothing. Fighting the phoneline, weather, batteries, computers, with two cats on my lap.
The East in the 80ties. In countries like Hungary I mainly travelled with an UK band called Test Dept (forgotten). Their socialistic orientated shows got approval from communistic governments. Good propaganda! Cultural departments invited the band. Sometimes we had dinner with political representatives. I remember one where I had only red wine and bread. The only, all over the East by Sovjet instructed, no meat dish was diep fried breaded cheese and mushrooms. Sometimes I got bored with my daily diet of potatoes and salad.
Don´t remember much of the Hungarian travels, but one thing I noticed; the people where generally in a happy mood, party minded, in contra with what Western propaganda tried to tell us (dark, sad, depressive). The vans we drove drew attention. Modern western cars where still rare. Everywhere we stopped a crowd surrounded the vans (Ford?). No rockstars, we left the vehicles, ignored by the walk up, who pushed their faces against the windows admiring technology.
Poland is far faded in my memory. No offence, it only means I had a very good (party) time there. I do remember a trip with Dr Israel and crew going further into the hinterland. The crew was mainly Afro-American, dreadlocks, colorful clothing.
Although already years after boirder opening, each time when stopped we atrackt a crowd. Mainly curious country side people who only knew this look from tv. The spontaneous acquaintance always was in a positive atmosphere. People touching, laughing, making pictures while Ish (crew membere) took the kids on his lap. You can interpret these accounters as (positive) racism, but friendly fulfilling curiosity kills prejudice thoughts.
Whenever online again date!
Storm! Already for days. 3rd day was the heaviest. Almost a hurricane. Trees falling, phoneline down again, roof tiles and branches flying around. Every roof on the estate is damaged. Middle part of the state-valley, with (avant) veggie garden and shower building, turned into a wide wild water river. Ofcourse the Breur (waterpump) disappeared under this violent hose of water. Didn´t see it for days. Hopefully when water gets less, its still there. A nearby broadcasting areal must be damaged. Certain radio stations disappeared plus mobile network. Shit, I am disconnected from the world! Is this that day..? Savest is to stay inside. Maybe its still possible driving out. I had thoughts leaving towards more housed surroundings, waiting until worst is over.
Last Saterday morning, the heaviest storm day I drove to the market. The forest dirt track was still drive-able with 4×4. The market was empty. No stands outside (impossible due to strong wind). An advantage, finally parking nearby! The indoor food market was open. Mainly what I need. Walking in, nobody there. Only standowners hopefully turning their faces towards me. Finally customer! Another advantage, its great to have the complete market for myself! No lines, no waiting. Feeling pity for their bad bizznix day I was tempted purchasing bits from every stand, but decided to do ´market as usual´. Bread from the famous ´Vila Facaia´ bakery and veggies sold by a lady maintaining a biologic garden.
Driving back I saw the local firebrigade fighting water overkill. Electricity gone everywhere…uhhh…not everywhere. In Juntas (the place I live) lights burn. I am independent on solar. Finally, for the first time in years electricity drops do not hit me!
Meanwhile we are a few days further. After an inpossible day with only hail storms, it seem to ease out. Its Wednessday, the storm started last week Thursday. Found an internet cafe that is back on the net. Hope I will be connected soon too.
28 jan
And still no internet. If it stays long like this I become a regular (barfly) of the local internet cafe. Anyway, I will try to post.
Somehow I got distracted from my ´east´ stories due to these bad weather events. Had one more in my mind. Next time, if not ´interrupted´
Was in Cartaxo last Friday visiting a gig. Didn´t attend club shows for a long time. They are rare in Portugal. Bands on tour do gig, but mostly the bit better known names. The lesser famous toilet touring bands don´t hit Portugal often. Too far away out of the routing plus Portugal doesn´t seem to have a widely spreaded club scene. In all my touring I visted Portugal regularly, but mostly it was a quick fly-in. I remember ´clubbing´ Portugal with Mono years ago. We performed two shows, one in a jazz club in Porto, the other in Lisbon, a gallery.
The club gigs in Cartaxo are done in the local ´Centro Cultural´, the official theatre. The organizer use mostly the basement or foyer spaces in the building. The official music room is seated and oversized for clubbands. The promoter invited me for last Friday´s show. A psychidelic rockband from the UK with local support (forgot the names). It was a good night out. Nice atmosphere and feeling. People showed up, the dj warmed up and kept it going after. It was refreshing hanging in a good old familiar ´homy´ atmosphere for first time since years. I spend such a big part of my life in rock clubs, was barely aware of another world. Its good to have a smell of it sometimes.
Driving home in good mood I decided to hop by the place more often. If you travel Portugal and look for a good night out with life music Cartaxo is the place to be!
FEBRUARY
3
Two weeks after the worst strom-day. I am still repairing. Yesterday I could finally reach the ´Breur´ (waterpump) and repair/re-install it. Still no internet connection. Probably living on the end of the line I will be on the bottom of the list. Therefore dependable from public places. This is getting anoying and reflex on my work plus posting. Living far out it takes time reaching nearest internet point. This inconvenience upsets me a bit last days. I will try to acquiesce in the situation, how difficult it is… So today just a short note…soon more…
5
So lets get over it. I will spend time taking a hike from my hermit hide to nearest internet cafe almost everyday (ofcourse I am not a hermit neither hiding).
The East! Last episode. Of all former socialistic countries I liked Yugoslavia the most. Since early 80-ties I travel there often. Somehow I give my heart to the Balkan and their culture. I can´t admit I feel comfortable in that ´dark´ humor but friendly and very lifely atmosphere. The Balkan culture is very complicated but interesting. Their particular way of creating music and movies. It got world wide some attention…but thats another post. First my traveling.
Yugoslavia was never a part of the ´Warsaw Pact´. Independent, free from Russian and USA influences. The territory was different than rest of the ´East´. Situated more central Europe, bordering Greece, Italy and austria, south, west and north. Tito created a more ´open´ community. The ´West´ had influences. You could purchase ´West´ popmusic released by the state label ´Yugotone´. Yugotone stores where spread all over the country. Besides local artists the selection contained much west-music cassettes and vinyls from Beatles to Iron Maiden. I still have a few Yugotone pressings. The tapes where very cheap. I purchased many, especially music I would never invest in. This was a good oppertunity to have a better listen why I am not interested. If ´horrible´ (mostly), the tape ended in the garbage. Funny (and very communistic), if you visited one Yugotone store, you saw them all. They where country wide the same offering same (Yugotone) collection. I remember a very small indie import record store in front of ´Kud Galleria´ in Ljubljana. But this could also be after the independence.
Surprising was that shortly after passing the border, tuning the car radio you could suddenly hear extreme West cult music like The Crass or Death Kennedy´s blasting loud. Music that would never make it to clear receiving FM stations in the west. The station was (is…still going) ´Radio Student´ broadcasting from Ljubljana, covering Slovenia only. Driving towards Croatian coast, Sarajevo, Belgrade, you lost it.
I drove the former Yugoslavian territory all the way through. Was in many places. From Bar to Belgrade (did that drive for real!). Great landscape with lakes, mountains and rough canyons. But besides the landscape its the people with their very interesting (and complicated) culture. Dynamic, energitic, emotional, direct, confronting,… Allready in the 80ties a Yugo friend handed me a tape from Ferus Mustafov. I was immidiatly sold. Addicted to this amazing music, intellectual, virtuoso and entertaining. This was 20 years before the ´Balkan hype´!
Obvious I would make a move living on the Balkan. It became Slovenia. Not the heart, but the touch is there. Slovenia is a typical border territory. Influences from neighbors Austria, Italy mixed with strong Balkan culture.
A good Serbian friend educated me a lot about the Balkan. History, Politics and culture. Serbia! My heart jumps over. Whatever negative ideas media tried to spread last 20 years, from me nothing but good about Serbian people and culture. Let me mention one (of the many) positive experiences. Had a car breakdown and standing still parked on the side of a main (country) road. Every car approaching stopped and help was offered! With all my world wide travelling this never happened to me in any other place.
8
Still no internet. My usual daily order at the internet cafe is waiting every morning. I am a regular. Not much time or feel for writing, therefore a re-run picture, the eucalyptus forrest! Next time more….
14
And yes, still in the internet bar. Mostly in the morning when my usual order is waiting, taking care of like done with all regulars. I better stop paying the monthly phone subscription until they start to ´deliver´ my purchase again.
Meanwhile life goes on, constructing (making good progress), avant gardening (its almost spring; seed, plant, grow, eat) and… on the road again. Short trip with the one and only Psychic TV 3 (PTV3). Here the dates:
Friday 19 April – 013 (Roadburn), Tilburg, The Netherlands
Saturday 20 April – Festsaal Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Monday 22 April – L´Usine, Geneve, Switzerland
Wednesday 24 April -Centro Cultural, Cartaxo (Lisbon) Portugal
Friday 26 April – Zona Roveri, Bologna, Italy
Don´t forget to check out a show and come to say hello. You find me at the FOH or under the bar.
20
And still no internet. But who would expect that after a month the line will be back up and connected. Thats too fast for the PT (Portuguese telecom), they prefer to drink, hang, be lazy and let customers pay for a service they don’t deliver. Fuck the PT. I will stop the payment until the line is back up and look into other ways getting connected, lesser dependable from cables and in-dependable from PT.
Meanwhile I was working in the internet café. All this shit came very wrong timed. Just a new computer and change into another (Linux) program. That explains also my lesser posting. I had to spend too much time setting things up and have it working. I am getting there. Now most work can be pre-done at home and send online when in internet café.
So here we go. The few pictures I manage to take from the storm. If visiting previous posts (of last two years) you know how this ‘quinta’ looks like. Here the first picture.
On the trees and bushes you can see there is a heavy wind but look bit up middle/left, the white you see is water. Coming from down the hill floods the channel made to catch that water and little dyke. Flood is starting.
This is just the beginning. You can see the roof of the little building right bottom corner is still on. All became much worst. Later it became to dangerous making pictures outside. Roof tiles, tree branches and loads of other shit was flying around. The middle part got totally flood and roofs partly disappeared. The storm lasted for almost one week, starting on a Wednesday with heavy wind and rain. This got worst growing to a climax (close to hurricane) on Saturday. On Sunday in heavy wind and rain I was busy (wearing rain-suite) trying to repair all roofs. On Tuesday, last storm day, there was a heavy hail coming down for hours making the landscape white.
What you see on this picture ain’t snow, its a layer of hail. Temperatures are far above freezing.
Survived this extreme weather, the PT not, they are still depressed drinking talking about how disastrous all this was…uhh is for them.
26
I started to leave the dates out on top of every post. It appears anyway, automatically,… program… But thats not the reason. Due to lazybones at the PT I never know when I my next time is I can hook up on the web again for posting my pre-written nonsense.
Anyway, talking about ‘writing’, time for a quote:
“Written history only shows what is printed on paper and leaves out all non-written historical facts. The author only writes what gains the person interest”.
Right, especially the first line. Ofcourse there is a link between the first and second line. Nobody would write about something that wouldn’t attract its interest. The people who wrote down historical facts probably only mention what they thought (think) is important. It leaves out mass amount of information we never will hear of. On the other hand many writers were/are censored and forced to write to please a more powerful person or organisation.
In recent history you might be able thinking of clear examples of forced history writing, but be aware that in the now so called ‘free’ world (and time) history forging happens all the time. Its inevitable, every ‘medium’; newspaper, book, magazine, radio/tv-program, website,… its all based on personal and/or commercial interest and therefore lies.
Since everything what is published can be approached as ‘nonsense’ you might consider if it is of any interest to know about all that what never was, is and will be published.
MARCH
14
Spring started with very nice sunny days. In my (avant) garden one bush is already in bloom:
Oh, in the back the little house I am working on. Promised to keep you updated about the progress. Well, I am getting there. It might still look a bit shaky from the outside, but inside its almost ready. The inside is most important. I finish that first. Took this picture few hours ago.
Unbelievable if you think that one year ago there was no roof, the walls crumbling and everything was overgrown by bushes. In the middle, about where the wheel barrow is standing, grew a large tree. The floor still has to be done, than a finishing touch and I will move in!
Was a long busy internet-less period. But everything is back on, sunny days and good mood. Expect regular posting again.
16
Now I am back connected with the world again let me tell you about my trips to the nearest internet café (part 1). I pack my laptop in a small backpack and start walking about 1 mile where I meet my mule called Petreo (free translated ‘Stubborn Stone’). After saddling Petreo with a blanket we move on with the travel following narrow paths edging steep deep canyons. Petreo can sometimes be very stubborn, like all donkey’s. Refusing to move anywhere in the middle of nowhere or turn left where we usually go right. No reason, no motives for this unacceptable behaviour. For these occasions I carry a small bag of sugar cubes . One is enough to get him going in the right direction. Lower down the hill the valley widens and we reach the meadows and fields of Mario Magalhaes Vasco Otelo Maria dos Antunes, aka ‘Beteraba’ (Beet). Beteraba inherited the sheep and goat farm from his respectable father Vasco Nuno Dias Otelo Maria dos Antunes, aka ‘Relvazinho’ (Little Grass). Relvazinho died a peaceful soft death by not waking up from a deep sleep 32 years ago. Since that time Beteraba runs the farm with his wife Lavinia Eulalia Regina Isabel Joseph dos Graca dos Antunes, aka ‘Floro de Maio’ (May Flower) because of her yearly returning beauty in the springtime when her face (not whole body) seem to bloom up as if life just started, even still now after reaching a respectable age passing half a century. Floro is the daughter from Augustino Miguel Nuno Otelo Maria dos Reis aka ‘Pepino’ (no translation) and Ema Fabiola Tamara Adelina Joseph dos Melo dos Reis aka ‘Donna Doce’ (Sweet Lady). Pepino is the son of Beteraba’s onkel Carlos Otelo Mario Paulo Maria dos Antunes aka ‘Gordo’ (Fatty). Donna Doce is only child from the wealthy successful business man Jesus Pereira Emiliano Frederique Maria dos Melo, aka ‘Moinho’ (windmill). Pepino married Donna Doce to fortify the family capital. The Melo’s own much land, rent out houses and manage the only windmill in these surroundings. Floro and Beteraba had more children but sadly they all died suffering several diseases on very young ages. Only one son; Otelo Mario Vasco Eulalio Maria dos Antunes aka ‘Pompeus’ (translation not needed) reached a mature age growing big and strong. Pompeus is a good son and helping hand on the farm. One of his many tasks is to bring superfluous manure to the neighbours. The successful farm of Beteraba and Floro overproduces. Today I can get a ride with Pompeus on the car pulled by an ox, leaving Petreo with the seeps and goats.
Next post part 2
21
Part 2 about my trip to the internet café got interrupted and will be published next post.
Last weekend Jason Molina passed away. Only 39 years young. It is a sad story, but he drunk himself to death! I toured with Jason some time ago. The Magnolia Electric Co days. He had already an alcohol problem than. In the gallery you find some pictures https://www.limbabwe.com/?page_id=4&album=1&gallery=13, and here, in memory, a picture of a live concert from Magnolia Electric Co. Jason is the small person left, in yellow shirt.
(Sorry, don’t have better pictures of MEC)
27
Part 2 about my trip to the internet cafe is interrupted again because I am back in the internet cafe. Again no connection. This time a thunderstorm burned the computer adapter and router (internet box). Tanx to the cheap electronic China store I could quickly purchase a new adapter for the computer, the router is in the mail. Comes from the internet provider. So I am back spending much time on long travels to be able getting online. Living in the middle of nowhere isn’t always that easy. Although every spot brings its problems. Even in the centre of New York electricity or internet can drop. And where would you go if that happens? At least I have some ‘alternatives’. So, I keep it short today and hope soon to be back with episode 2 of my daily trip.
APRIL
1
My trip to the internet cafe part 2, I am having a ride with Pompeus on his ox-wagon. For reading the full eposide 1 go to the post of March 16.
Slowly we move down on a dirt road pulling big load of damping, stinky manure. Lucky, wind blows south-west, the direction we are going. On a crossing Pompeus must turn left, I go right towards village. On this crossing I jump of, shake hands, say goodbye and sit on a big stone on roadside waiting for the milk-truck driven by Aureliano Jose Lorenzo Segundo Maria Dos Reis, aka ‘Peixe’ (Fish). What gave him this name nobody remembers. Had to do with something in his teenage years, a story everybody forgot. Peixe was born from Maria Rosa Ferreira Gracinda Joseph Dos Reis, aka ‘Floracao’ (bloom), the daughter of Gordo’s brother (another Beteraba’s onkel) Jose Machado Martinho Joaq Maria Dos Antunes, aka ‘Carvalho’ (oak). Peixe’s father is unknown. Floracao was never married and she passed away suffering an unknown but fatal desease when Peixe was 11 years old. The family Reis (Pepino and Donna Doce) adopted Peixe raising him as their own son. Until today Peixe is unmarried. After 20 minutes waiting distance dust-clouds announce the approach of Peixe’s truck, rolling down the hill. Its nice to be with Peixe, always in a good mood, singing songs while driving. It might have something to do with the bottle of wine hidden behind driver’s seat that keeps his condition up. Besides his passion for music Peixe sees only good in people and is in his heart a socialist. Together we sing ‘The Internationale’, he in Portuguese, me in Dutch, while moving slowly (because of the many milk-cans) between meadows and farmland. After some time we reach the vegetable farm of Maria Laura Malacia Ludovina Joseph Dos Reis Dos Antunes aka ‘Mae Grande’ (big mama). Seeing her explains the name. Mae Grande is sister of Floro, although not really. Few months old Mae Grande was found and also adopted by the wealthy and caring Pepino and Donna Doce who named her. The real parents of Mae Grande are until today never found. Mae Grande married Jose Carlos Teodoro Martinho Maria Dos Antunes, aka ‘Delgado’ (skinny), son of Relvazinho and brother of Beteraba. Mae Grande and Delgado live a happy marriage and have 3 healthy sons; Carlos Jose Teodoro Martinho Maria Dos Antunes, aka ‘Charro’ (sticky), Teodoro Jose Carlos Martinho Maria Dos Antunes aka ‘Veloz’ (speedy) and the youngest Martinho Jose Carlos Teodoro Maria Dos Antunes, aka ‘Verso’ (fresh). Mae Grande owns a big vegetable garden. She sells her harvest on the local market. Aware of food manipulation by the commercial industry she grows her veggies the old traditional way, biologic and natural. Her husband and sons help along in the garden that grew out to a large cultivated field. The veggies from Mae Grande are good quality and popular. Her market sales cover most of the family income. They live a good life and can even afford a small truck. Besides helping his wife Delgado is also the village hairdresser. He visits his customers (almost everybody in the village) at home driving on a ‘Puch’ motor bicycle imported from Germany in the 70ties, last century. With Mae Grande I can drive to the village market, sitting in the back on a veggie crate. Arriving on the market I almost reach my destination. Waving goodbye to Mae Grande I walk to the internet cafe called Quase (almost) bar, just a few meters from Mae Grande’s stand, situated on the market square. The Quase bar is owned by Gabriel Nesco Vito Norberto Maria Dos Calvao, aka ‘Nariz’ (nose), son of the village mayor Vito Norberto Orlando Duarte Maria Dos Calvao, aka ‘Nariz Velho’ (old nose). Nariz tries to have a political career. He is frontman of the local party DC (Democratico Catolico) and hopes to follow in his father footsteps becoming the village first man. Busy with his career he leaves the Quase bar in the hands of his daughter Eugenia Ulises Adelino Fatima Joseph dos Calvao, aka ‘Beata’ (pious). While Beata is making me a coffee I open my laptop to go online posting this story.
7
Aaaarghh that tourstress. Too many unimportant issues I have to deal with every day. Too many twisted brains involved. And tour didn’t start yet! Who ever called this the ‘entertainment bizznix’ must have been a masochist.
Meanwhile, to warm you up for next week PTV3 trip here a picture of a show years ago at the Tabernacle in London, UK. This girl jumped on stage and started to dance like a maniac.
19
It took some period writing again, anyway, you where to busy figuring out the complicated family structures in the surroundings of my whereabouts (my trip to the internet cafe). And yes, we are on tour. Tilburg, The Netherlands. Its 5 now hours before the first show of this trip. Again I will keep you updated about a rock band on tour with the sight, smells and…castles
TILBURG CASTLE
The Tilburg Castle existed until 1858 and was situated on an estate called ‘De Hasselt’.
The castle was built around the year 1500. In that period the daughter of count Jan van Haasdrecht married Robert van Malsen, the regent of ‘Tilburg and Goirle’. It is uncertain if Haasdrecht or Malsen gave the instructions building the castle. In 1621 the family Van Grobbendonk became regent and took over the castle followed by family Hessen-Kassel (1710-1754 and family Van Hoogendorp (1754-1858).
In 1858 the castle with estate and buildings was publicly sold. The castle was bought by Nicolaas Pesser and his son. They demolished it and established on the same spot a textile company, manufacturing with sheep whool and leather. The castle lake was very suitable for washing whool.
Due to city housing the factory and remains of the castle totally disappeared. To memorize the Tilburg castle the city councel raised a monumet on the spot where it once was standing. In a public garden on the Van Bylandstraat you can see the shapes of castle fundaments
22
Yep, on the road with PTV3. Great sold out show last Saturday in Berlin. Tonight its Geneva, L’usine. Despite all modern technology internet access is still not obvious, even not in a big modern hotel centre Berlin. The network kept dropping in and out, thats why today yesterdays post. I notice travelling becomes more and more inconvenient. Its not so much the comfort of seats, planes, trains… but more the other travellers and employers involved with your travel. Everybody seems stressed out, hectic and fed-up! Does modern life wear us out? Are we (you) tired of it all? I strongly get the feeling most people carry life as a burden. My advice, get over it. Life is given to you, so take it, live it and see it as one big party. Life is too short being disgruntled.
Berlin Castle
Berlin has several castles but one of the most interesting is the Charlottenburg Palace
Charlottenburg Palace today is the largest residence of the Hohenzollern in Berlin. Originally built by Elector Frederick III as a summer residence for his wife Sophie Charlotte in 1699, the palace was later extended into a stately building with a cours d’honneur.
The magnificent palace is surrounded by a baroque garden, in which diverse architectures melt into a unique ensemble. The entire palace presents itself with majestically equipped rooms and saloons and with top-class art collections that offer outstanding masterpieces: For example, one of the largest collections of French paintings of the 18th century outside of France.
The ensemble of rooms and saloons – artistically as well as historically impressive – is a living testimonial of courtly culture and life from baroque times until the early 20th century.
You find the Charlottenburg Castle on Spandauer damm 20-24 Berlin.
23
On the road with PTV3, rocking, gigging and… visiting castles. Today sightseeing Geneva!
North of Geneva at the lake in Coppet you find Château of Coppet
According to an ancient document the construction of the chateau goes back to the times of Pierre de Savoie who died in 1268. The work was completed under his successors, the Villars.
After 1300, the expression “castellum” or fortified castle appears in documents of the time. The chateau with its tower dominated the houses which were grouped along the lake. A derivation from the river of Versoix, the Greny, fed the moats around the castle and turned the wheel of a mill in the park. After the Villars, Humbert d’ Allamand, then Othon de Grandson, the poet knight, lived in Coppet.
During the fights between the Vaudois and the Bernese, the latter ones partially burnt down the chateau. After its reconstruction it became the property of the Lords of Viry, the Constable of Lesdiguières, and then of the powerful prince family, the de Dohnas. They were the governors of the principality of Orange in France (The presence of the Hotel d’Orange in Coppet is a souvenir from those days). The philosopher Pierre Bayle was the tutor of de Dohna’s children.
It was the de Dohnas, and then their successors, the Hogguers, who gave the château, between 1680 and 1730, its current look. After them, in 1767, Gaspard de Smeth, put up his coat of arms on the front of the chateau (de Smeth = forgeron).
The fame of the Chateau of Coppet starts in 1784, the year of its purchase by Jacques Necker. Jacques Necker, born in Geneva, made an exceptional career in Paris, where Louis XVI, King of France, chose him to be his Finance Minister
Since these days, the chateau has remained in the hands of Necker’s descendents. The first generation was his famous daughter, Mme de Staël, followed by her eldest son, Auguste, who died young. After his death the chateau went over to his widow and since 1878 the chateau is in the hands of the Haussonville family. The current owner represents the 8th generation since Necker and the 10th generation since 1784.
Coppet is still the only privately owned property in the Leman region, which has conserved all of its furniture, pieces of art, paintings and family souvenirs. It is not a museum but a family possession open to the public.
25
Rocking a few European stages And castles with PTV3. Last night Cartaxo, just north of Lisbon
Castelo de São Jorge is a Moorish castle occupying a commanding hilltop overlooking the historic centre of the Portuguese city of Lisbon and Tagus River. The strongly fortified citadel dates from medieval period, and is one of the main tourist sites of Lisbon.
The first fortification on this hilltop date to the 2nd century BCE, and got its shape how it looks today in the 10th century, rebuilt by the Moors.
The hill and castle was used as a defensible outpost by many occupiers of the Lisbon territory.
The castle is located in the centre of city of Lisbon, over an escarpment, while many of its walls extend around the citadel into the civil parishes that surround it to the east and south.
The castle’s footprint is roughly square, and it was originally encircled by a wall, to form a citadel. The castle complex consists of the castle itself (the castelejo), some ancillary buildings (including the ruins of the royal palace), gardens, and a large terraced square from which an impressive panorama of Lisbon is visible. The main entrance to the citadel is a 19th-century gate. This gate access to the main square (Praça d’Armas), which is decorated with old cannons and a bronze statue of Afonso Henriques, the Portuguese monarch who took the castle from the Moors.
The remnants of the royal palace are located near the main square, but all that is left are some walls and a few rebuilt rooms like the Casa Ogival. It now hosts the Olissipónia, a multimedia show about the history of Lisbon.
The medieval castle is located toward the northwest corner of the citadel, at its highest point. It is rectangular in shape, and it has a total of ten towers. A wall with a tower and a connecting door, divides the castle courtyard into halves.
Apart from its main walls, the castle is protected, on its southern and eastern sides, by a barbican (barbacã), a low wall for extra protection against attacks approaching the main castle walls. The northern and western sides of the castle were naturally protected by the steep hillside sloping downward from the castle’s foundations. The castle is also partially encircled by a moat, now dry. The main entrance is fronted by a stone bridge across the moat. On the west side, there is a long curtain wall extending downhill, ending at a tower (the Torre de Couraça). This tower served to control the valley below, and it could also be used to escape, in case the castle was taken by enemies.
26
Tonight the last show of this PTV3 trip. We are in Bologna, gigging and sightseeing.
About 40 km north of Bologna you find the Castle of Galeazza.
The oldest part of the Castle of Galeazza is the tower, built in the late 14th century by Galeazzo Pepoli, who was responsible for leading soldiers in the Battle of Marino on the 29th of April 1379.
After climbing 122 steps from the ground floor to the terrace of the tower, the visitor is rewarded with impressive views of the surrounding countryside and a bird’s eye view of the brick parapets and terracotta roof tiles of the castle. From the terrace one can climb up 37 more steps inside a narrower tower, named after the wife of Galeazzo Pepoli, Anna. At the top of Anna, one steps out onto a little balcony to a view of tree tops, the terrace and Ghibelline merlons of the tower below, the park and grounds of the castle, and the adjacent church and convent. On clear days one can see the Appenines to the south and the Alps to the north.
New buildings were added one by one through the centuries. The most recent and prominent additions to the Castle of Galeazza were made in the second half of the 19th century. Around 1870, the property was bought from the Pepoli family by Signor Alessandro Falzoni Gallerani, a gentleman from the nearby town of Cento, who was known for his exquisite taste and appreciation of art and culture. Falzoni Gallerani, who wanted to create a luxurious summer residence for his very large family, connected the buildings scattered around the grounds into a single harmonious structure with neo-gothic details. The completed castle creates a courtyard in the front of the property and an gate to enter the park.
Today the castle is open for visitors. It has a restaurant, library and possibilities to rent rooms (hotel).
MAY
3
Back from tour. No time to rest, lots of work to be done, more about that later. First back to the tour.
Lots of buzzing on the sound in Cartaxo. Shitty electricity…hmmm, I might have found the reason why:
7
Due to lack of electricity (too many people using too much) no extended post but another PTV3 tour picture. Eddie setting up merch in Bologna (and sold everything!)
18
The PT is hell!!!! Fucking stupid dumb Portuguese telecom. The internet line sucks. Disconnected every ten minutes while that slow it takes ages to upload a 72 mb music file. Had to start over 6 times, upload time over 2 hours. All due to primitive shitty connections in this shitty primitive country. When do companies finally keep their promises and deliver decent quality for the price I pay?
Anyway, new upload from FREE MUSIC! STOP AMERICA! Their latest recordings first available for free here at Limbabwe. Info and link below plus ofcourse also on the FREE MUSIC! STOP AMERICA! download page.
FREE MUSIC! STOP AMERICA!
“ THE SOUND OF HOW PEOPLE COULD BE TO EACH OTHER: Educording s.f. ’12 “
No cover available.
Tracklist:
1) f29. Everyday is a great day to revolute! Just ask 80yr old that have been ‘occupying’ for 60 years.
2) what is anarchism, now? what do you think? This is known. ‘you can give a child an i-pod, or you can teach ’em how to play music’.
3) can we acknowledge difference? Fear of difference, or, viva le difference!
4) Oops! Making mistakes learning a version of a Balkan ‘cocek’
5) live to ride another day, ride to live another day.
6) longing for different tomorrows. The end of war and slavery: a bicycle powered by music, that flies!
7) the world is on fire. america and the music industry, ur shit is done.
8) what is jazz, now? What are blackness, whiteness, america, and sound, now? Does it still possess the truth of american narrative? Is it merely the most enduring form, withstanding the endless assaults of blues wanking guys like me? It’s relation to later black music innovations (r&b, funk, reggae, hip-hop,etc.). What do you think?
9) birds. Nature sound
10) mali hatched
11) jobs. Why do you think they say ‘you got worked’?
12) Ethiopunques
13) maya angielou. Version of the poem ‘I rise’.
14) free music! To acknowledge the suffering and to offer sonic support to the people fighting for their humanity around the world
15) how much difference can you deal with? Can we freely explore life with each other without reverting to dominance and oppression? While admitting to the pathological effects of a history defined by dominance and oppression.
16) all power to the people! Dialectical conduction by all, no formal ‘leaders’.
17) extreme difference. This sound kills i-tunes. No more “paying my own $ to prove that I exist in an industry that doesn’t”
18) thanks folks. That was great, can’t wait to do it with you next year! Bring more people next time!..
19) whither, rock ‘n’ roll? Its’ history as expropriated black culture, youth consumer engineering, and false rebellion; its’ collapse; then what?
The musicians: kevin, mark, david, jack, theresa, gabriel, brandi, marat, lee, adam, bill, angie, mark, susanna
educorded: 8/30/2012 s.f.
Teknacle help: mark, jack, not frank, you’re welcome frank, sorry mark and jack
rock it people! Don’t nuy it, occupy it!
Download here:
https://www.limbabwe.com/?attachment_id=2284
The link directs you to another Limbabwe page. Click the link on that page then click download.
26
Ok, mistakes are human. I somehow missed the option of checkin’ and ‘releasing’ new guestbooks entries. That explains why it stayed that empty. Since the new admin program I wasn’t even aware this is supposed to be done. From now on I will be more keen with adding new guestbook entries.
Endlessly working on my domicile brings the house I built to live into all kind of ‘in-between’ improvised stages. I already moved into the little self-constructed building, but its not ready yet. It gives funny, messy temporarily situations like this chaotic outside kitchen.
Summertime is coming, with it the tourists and work. Its time for more regular posting again.
JUNE
1
It has been a busy week like always trying to deal with the ‘Cabbage family’. More about that soon in upcoming posts. The Shinafest is getting together. We are going to have a great ‘Free Music, Stop America’ livingroom tour plus artists on stages in Idrija on interesting locations as always. Besides ‘Free Music, Stop America’ other artists signed are : Dragsholm Kolding Korrektor (Global) with a new project called ‘Mom I want more pasta’. And the amazing Borut Savski (Slovenia). If you like to put up FMSA in your living room, there are still a few open dates. Drop me a line (see contact page). Too warm you up; here a picture of onwe of this years Shinafest locations:
9
While the Shinafest organization is in progress, lets do some writing again. The weather turned out depressive this morning. Its time for some mooning… :)D for example. This thing that appears in emails for years. Seem to mean ‘I am funny’ but meanwhile developed as excuse for insults. “Hey you ashole” :)D, “What was that a fuck up” :)D, “Jesus, you write like a prick” :)D, aso… Where ever the term has its origin, when used it appears to me as a lame excuse missing out on sufficient vocabulary to express yourself. So unless you like to show of your (partly) lack of illiteracy, leave this stupid :)D out when mailing me.
Hippies, I somehow start to dislike them again, at least those ‘dreamy’ types. You know them, those who think they can improve the world with unrealistic ideas and nonsense. When young, fine, try to change and discover. But when over 40 its about time landing on earth with feet firm on the soil. Portugal is loaded with 40+ dreamers wandering around discussing ‘the problems of this planet’. Often they don’t seem to realize themselves are the problem. I have no time for hippy shite. To busy getting my things done. Sure my ‘hippy-hate’ is latent constantly there since born to be from the first (and only real) punkrock generation. We hated hippies. Later I became more ‘balanced’ about the subject, plus they almost disappeared, but seemed gathered here in Portugal. Maybe we should cut the pinnacle from the rest of Europe and let it float into the ocean doomed to be doomed!
And than the symmetries. Having such an ‘open minded’ hippie here, what is their hang to symmetry? Everything must be balanced out (material). Placed exactly in the middle. How unnatural. Nature has no symmetry (how people measure). There is no middle. I thought hippies want to be oso natural! I wonder when that hang into measuring entered the human instinct. It couldn’t be in us since year zero. Somewhere on the line it must have sneaked into our mind. I will do some investigation in that. This in another post. Enough wining for now, the sun came out…
16
Cookies. Ok, you can eat them but they also seem to be digital Websites create them in your computer so your system can easier operate with the site you visit. Since politicians have nothing to do than just making useless laws, there seem to be a new law that you have to be warned for the baking of cookies. Poor grandma. I see her standing in the window with a bullhorn screaming ‘I am going to bake cookies now’ so the complete neighbourhood is warned. Anyway, this site probably creates cookies like all sites always did and will. Meanwhile we all know this for years and regularly run programs cleaning all these unnecessary stored bites. It seem that politicians are the only ones who don’t. Oh well, you can’t expect that those in politics have the brains knowing how to operate a computer, neither ‘star’ nor the ‘production team’ behind it. Politics is bizznix, they have to come up with a useless product once a while keeping the sales going. This site makes cookies, so now you are warned.
So lets do something useful and look at a nice picture of a part from the Avant Garden. Notice one of my cats on the bottom.
JULY
5
Almost 3 weeks of no posting. Its ‘cucumber time’. Not much to say plus busy. Summer is full on with temperatures over 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit). Many guests hopping by (the biggest part of Europe has a horrible shitty summer). Anyway, despite the heat life moves on. Avant gardening, cycling and building. The little house at the ‘sunny side’ I posted about few times is reaching a finishing state. I am going to do the last main construction thing upcoming days; the floor. Here a pile of floorwood waiting to be hammered down. First of course layers of protection so bugs don’t eat it right away (they will after a while). I will make some more pictures and keep you updated about the finishing touch of the first ‘house’ I built all by myself!!! Ennuhhh, soon more about the Shinafest, the smallest, nicest and interesting festival in the world….aiheeehaa
7
Hot hot hot, the weather… and it doesn’t stop. Still working finishing (the inside) of my little mountain cabin. About the latest. Impregnated the bars for the floor. Here you see them lying drying.
They are not very thick (8cm). It its not for a ‘flying’ floor. The bars are placed on a concrete base (protected with rubber coating). 8cm will be sufficient.
Meanwhile I decided to move temporarily out of the house. Just for a few days, when finishing the floor. Its easier plus I think its funny to camp on my own campsite! At least I get a feel of what I offer to guests, and its great. Look at this beautiful spot I stay….
Still planning a last minute trip? Hurry, the site might be full if you don’t react quick….
Soon more about construction progress, Shinafest and….
10
….and the floor is in. Look:
Professional job isn’t it? Thats it for today, later more…
14
Hurray, the new SHINAFEST program:
SEPTEMBER 13/14. LOCATION: IDRIJA, SLOVENIA
Its already shinafest numero quatro. The 4th edition. It feels we are just starting. Every year another, new festival. Why conform yourself to the laziness of settling. Like homeless tramps we move around within the Idrian border lines, experimenting with other sides of life. Besides performers on unexpected locations we support this year the living-room tour of ‘Free Music! Stop America! For those who like to beat the night we added ‘Shina Late Night’. Read the program below for more information. Visit the festival site: http://www.shinafest.com
Friday, September 13
– Dragsholm Kolding Korrektor (World) https://www.limbabwe.com/?page_id=44
‘It’, will ‘it’ be heard?
– Free Music! Stop America! (USA) https://www.limbabwe.com/?page_id=39
Bring your instrument. Jump in! Join! No stage, no rock star! Just all of us and music!
new: Shina Late Night @ Kavarna: Green Espadrilles (SLO)
from 23.00 on….
Saturday, September 14
– Bogdana Herman & Borut Savski (SLO) http://www.3via.org/records/index.php?id=62
newlycomposed Slovenian folk, alive and temporary interpretation with fundamental patterns of folk songs.
– Ana Kravanja (SLO) http://botanic-records.blogspot.pt/2012/10/ana-kravanja-marko-karlovcec-vrascanje.html
sovereign and exploring violinist in a free, non-idiomatic improvisation, with special emphasis on crude sonic exploration
new: Shina Late Night @ Kavarna: Jerobeam Fenderson (A)
from 23.00 on….
Wanna have a jam in your house. Shina on the Move has still a few dates open. Contact me!
28
Modern live. Nothing but internet problems. Its nerve breaking and time swallowing. This post is a try-out so its short. Whoever thinks modern technology is ‘handy’ or functional, must be the biggest idiot in the universe. That counts probably for most of the humans.
AUGUST
1
Due to digital shite problems on the Shinafest home page I will publish Shina latest on this spot.
Dates of the Free Music tour. These performances are mostly in non-public places. If you like to join somewhere, contact me.
Wednesday 4: Venlo, The Netherlands,
Friday 6: Maribor Slovenia
Saturday 7: Graz Austria.
Sunday 8 : Hrasnik Slovenia
Tuesday 10: Ljubljana Slovenia
Wednessday 11: Cerkno Slovenia
Thursday 12: Idrija SLO. Confirmed
Friday 13: Shinafest, Idrija Slovenia
Wednesday 18: Stuttgard Germany
more dates will be added soon. There are still a few dates open. If you like to have Free Music in the house contact me.
21
This was probably the longest silence since starting blogging. Its busy, internet connection is Portuguese (another word for ‘works tomorrow, never today’) and summer is on for months so why bother wasting time behind a digital screen. Still, posting on regular base starts now again. Shinafest is coming up with the Free Music! Stop America! tour, so I will keep you updated with the latest. Meanwhile the usual Portuguese summer tradition is full on: forest fires. Its hot and dry for a long time and like every August the country is slowly turning into a pile of ash. There where/are many fires around me. The valley I view at from my veranda is full with smoke. Look at this picture. This is not morning dawn, hazel or fog, but smoke from forest fires. I can smell it…it…..
25
While working on Shinafest and such (more info very soon) Portugal is burning down. The smoke cloud got thicker and covers big part of the country, but oh well, what else is new. Meanwhile my little self restored house is ready. It needs some finishing touches here and there so it looks ‘nice’. I created this ruin almost from the ground, starting to clean the bushes and clear the few remains of walls. Now I live in it…. look:
SEPTEMBER
1
Shinafest starting soon. Leave home tomorrow for Shina and the MOVE.
Dates:
Wednesday 4: Venlo, The Netherlands
Friday 6: Maribor Slovenia
Saturday 7: Graz Austria
Sunday 8 : Hrasnik, Slovenia
Tuesday 10: Ljubljana , Slovenia
Wednessday 11: Cerkno, Slovenia
Thursday 12: Idrija , Slovenia
Friday 13: Shinafest, Idrija , Slovenia
Wednesday 18: Stuttgart, Germany
want to join the jam? Send me a mail for exact location details. Some are private homes, we like to keep it like that (private).
Visit www.shinafest.com
Wood for the winter is ready (see picture below). Time for trip… Keep you updated where internet access allows.
11
Ok, I should be updating about the FMSA trip, lack oif time on my side, but lucky, others in the crew are posting so why not copy them. Here the writings of Paul and Theresa:
Here is the first posting for our international Free Music! Stop America! musical detour. Adam, Jack and I leave Portland tomorrow afternoon (Monday) and meet up with Paul and Mat in Copenhagen Denmark on Tuesday, Sept 5 at noonish. From there to Hamburg, Germany for an overnight. On to Monique and Ed’s house in Utrecht, Netherlands to pick up Jack’s drums and my bass amp on Wed. Then it’s music everyday, meeting new folks to jam with and expanding the Free Music! community.
Wow, 6400 miles and 10,000 kilomeeters in 3 days! Copenhagen, Denmark, Hamburg Germany for one night,five of us in the van and five in a room. Very cozy. Utrecht Netherlands to visit Monique and Ed. Thanks for storing the gear. On to Venlo to play music – my first time playing in a club. Everyone joined in to play and sing.
1st gig at cafe splinter in Venlo, Netherlands was lots of fun. We had a sax player, flute, conga drum, a few guest vocalist and spoons. They fed us an awesome veggie lasagne dinner and the music manager Will and his partner Astrid are putting us all up tonight. Tomorrow a long drive to Slovenia. Internet access is spotty so Happy birthdays to all!
Made it to Idriya Slovenia on Thursday night. Beautiful apartment, with a kitchen. Awesome hummus and salad from Tilen. Wonderful hike on the Rake to Divje Jezero, a lovely small lake. The village is in a small valley surrounded by alps on all sides. Gorgeous setting with a pop.of est 7000 including the folks living in the mountains.
The young folks joined us for the trip to Maribor – Tilen, Jan, Zoran. Last night we jammed at Radio Mars. Maribor Radio Student. Lots of music, noise and chaos, and fun.
Jet lag is abating. Mat and Paul and I are driving. Mostly Mat for now.
Looking for an Indian buffet for lunch, if we are lucky.
Graz Austria today, More later. . .
Great Party and Jam in Graz Austria on Saturday night. Music in every room. Hike to the castle the next day. Great falafel across the street. outdoor music fest down the street, and the musician was singing old 70’s pop. Ate at a Nigerian restaurant Omoka. Jack had some chicken stew, the rest of us had our host’s yummy chickpea stew. Chickpeas seem to be everywhere, in our stew, falafel and in our music shakers.
they sound as good as they taste.
back in Idrija… good weather every day so far but pouring rain right now. Slovenian guys Jan, Tilen, and Zoran went to Maribor and Graz and Hrastnik with us. Jan plays guitar ..Zoran is the singer in their band but we couldn’t get him to sing (except in the van -lol) not many people around last night – Hrastnik is very small and we were playing outside in a parking lot of a market. But lots were hanging out on balconies of apts across the street. Pic of jack’s drums at the party in Austria, and some older communist era apartments across from where we played last night.
More hiking in store today. Cloudy out, but much like Oregon. the Village of Idrija is beautiful, surrounded by mountains. Idrija is famous for lace making and they have a big fest here in the summer. Most people speak English with us, and we are doing OK shopping. Paul is having a hard time finding any t-shirts with Slovenian logos. Everywhere you see Nike and USA and Barbie and Hello Kitty. I got some great Alpina hiking shoes – made in Slovenia 30k from here. will wear them daily in Oregon too.
Tonight we play outdoors in Lublijana – capital of Slovenia. Outdoors at a monument or maybe under the bridge if it rains – as usual.
2 more jams added:
September 19, Tilburg, Netherlands
September 20, Nettetal, Germany
Here two pictures of the Hrastnik Jam:
13
Latest of the Free Music! Stop America! trip. Here some notes from Paul:
Lots of rain yesterday(Tuesday), our outdoor gig got moved to a spot under the highway bridge in Ljubljana. Great natural reverb coupled with sounds from the river, highway traffic, and drumsticks on the guardrail. Many thanks to Peter and Andeja for the chili peppers.
On Wednesday Mat cooked an awesome gado gado for us before we left to jam at CMAK in Cernko. When we got there we found out that they had a huge pot of veggie stew ready for us.. we were all very well fed last night. Almost everyone in the club had a drum or shaker – and Mat finally had most of his gear and a PA with enough power to rule the world (which he did for a brief moment) Better weather today and we play right in town so no need to load the van
Jan and Adam + jack on drums in the back, jamming under the bridge:
14
Today a post from Theresa:
Dear friends,
We continue to rock on – or for yoga fans “rug and roll”. Under the highway in Ljubljana was the best venue so far. Although the CMAK had the most challenging conditions – candlelight so we couldn’t see and loud percussion so we couldn’t hear each other, but great drumming with our new friends.
Thursday we played tourist visiting the caves at Postojna http://www.postojnska-jama.eu/en/ a truly amazing adventure. You take a small train 2k into the caves, and hike for 1k on a guided tour. The castle at Predjama http://www.slovenia.info/?grad=654 was like no other. Built into the side of a mountain cave with external and internal drawbridges and outdoor hallways, even a dungeon.
If you are planning a trip to Europe, Slovenia comes highly recommended! Idrija http://www.idrija-turizem.si is a most beautiful town and Mat can hook you up with travel info and connections. Contact Matski@limbabwe.com for more info.
Sunny today, SHINA FEST tonight and tomorrow. We are learning songs from the young Slovenian musicians, and they can really rock!
See Paul’s photos on Mat’s website: www.limbabwe.com
Happy B-day Mom!
Having coffee: infront Z, left Tilen, right Jan. In the back Adam, Paul, Matski
15
…..and another post from Theresa….
Here the first Shinafest picture:
Free Music! Stop America @ the Kolona Idrija, Friday 13 September
Picture by Aleksej Zagar
More picture follow soon
18
Its kinda luxury not writing your own posts….. Here Theresa again:
The Shinafest and FMSA trip is over. Everybody is on their way too or already back home, returning in usual daily routines. Two galleries added (see ‘Gallery’ in site navigation). Pictures of the FMSA tour and Shinafest.
On the Shinafest gallery you see performances in the mine of Ana Kravanja, Borut Savski and Bogdana. DKK and the Free Music! Stop America! Jam in the Kolona and store, plus Jerobeam Fenderson @ the Kavarna.
The FMSA gallery gives more impressions of the Idrija Shinafest jams plus our travelling over Slovenia and Europe. We jam under a bridge in Ljubljana, at the parking lodge in Hrastnik, party in Graz, a robot in Stuttgart and the ‘Hall Of Fame’ radio in Tilburg! (see one pic below). Expect more to come….. All pictures of the Shinafest are taken by Aleksej Zagar.
27
And a last post about the Free Music! Stop America! Europe trip from Theresa:
First a long drive to Stuttgart, Germany to visit an artists’ colony. The community lives in retired railroad cars leased to them by the city. There is graffiti art everywhere and they recently built a giant wooden robot, upon which they project video images, and is their dining room and bar. The room is about 20 feet off the ground, which is where we ate and played music with folks. We slept in Moritz’s studio space. He creates graffiti style sculptures of letters and numbers out of scrap metal found around the railroad yard.
Another long drive to Tillburg, NL to play in the hallway (hall of fame) at a radio station for the Incubate Music Festival http://incubate.org/2013/. I split off from the guys for a day in Amsterdam, while they went on to play at a Tolkienesk wonderland of nature and free recycled architectural feats (says Adam).
I visited the Anne Frank house http://www.annefrank.org/, where Anne and her family hid from the Nazi’s. Her father, Otto, was the only survivor of their 8-person household and published his daughter’s diary in 1960. Very moving to walk in the rooms, see the pictures and pages.
The canal tour of Amsterdam http://www.seeamsterdam.nl/en/home-seeamsterdam.html took me through the city and into the harbor outside the canal system. Many of the houses in Amsterdam have a hook attached to the top gable at the front of the house. This is because the stairways are so narrow that furniture needs to be hauled up from the street and through the windows.
On to Utrecht, in the center of the Netherlands, and a visit with Monique and Ed (my in-laws). We had a fabulous bike ride and tour of the historical parts of the city with Ed, http://www.holland.com/uk/tourism/cities-in-holland/visit-utrecht.htm, including the gorgeous gothic Dom Tower church. We stayed at the Strowis Hostel – http://www.holland.com/uk/tourism/cities-in-holland/visit-utrecht.htm
which has a long activist history.
We accompanied Ed and Monique to Amsterdam on Saturday, September 21st for the International Day of Peace outdoor meditation http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/. About three hundred people showed up to meditate for an hour on peace.
Carry on people – or as Mat often said on the detour – FUCKITIT’SALLGOOD!
OCTOBER
8
Tired of all that shit. Touring wears me out. Too old being on the road for 3 weeks. Back in Portugal now for 2 weeks and still not rested. Revenge of the 30 years of wild r ‘n’ r life I have behind me. Finally reached the age to be busy with growing organic tomatoes.
Some sentiment awoke on this trip (with FMSA). Where do I feel better? The solitude garden hidden deep in a Portuguese forest or the small Slovenian community hidden in the steep hills of pre-Alps? My old heart made a choice but mature brains balance ‘common sense’. Where ever the road goes, it will never be in a ‘desperate’ direction. Met too many who are (desperate). On all levels life seems to be in a negative ‘faze’, creating a vibe ‘going down’.
The trip went over Denmark, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. All wealthy countries with good living standards. Most people on this planet are in worst conditions. But I understand the personal crisis’s. Living on the ‘Zelfkant’ (Self-side) is out of fashion and manoeuvres those who are used to this life style in an uncomfortable position. Obvious we suffer lack of hope! With creating more regulations, careered alternative-parents-generations took over sucking our last straws we where holding on. ‘We’? Who are ‘we’? ….those who grew up with parents giving up religion and ‘believed’ in communist threat. Hope was an easy product to sell some decennials ago. Even after religion and communism it could still be distributed with slogans like ‘environment’, ‘future’, ‘ecological’,… I don’t seem to see what the aim is now. Materialism would be too easy. What does bring hope? Sometimes I think many miss the challenge to get rich in challenging. A dynamic life seem to be rare in conformed societies like above mentioned territories. I live light, don’t carry much material, but experience, thoughts and hope is still something I can offer…
It rained for a few days when I returned. Same like last year, September seems to have a few rainy days every year. During these rain-days it stayed warm, and later the sun came out again. Weather is great now. Time to start working…
23
The local internet went down drastically. First I have to wait 30 to 60 minutes before getting connected ( have solar – battery- power, for saving energy the router is switched of when not online). Than finally connected the speed is so low it takes up to 15 minutes downloading an email of a few kb text, if not disconnected again… This unworkable situation is going on for weeks now. No blame to my equipment or long cable through the forest. Late evenings or early Sunday mornings, when probably lesser users are on the net, my connection is a bit better, but not as used to be. The speed is comparable with ancient days connecting over phone lines with call-in modems. Obvious something must be wrong with the supplier of my connection. Usually these kinda bad periods automatically improve after few days, but now it takes too long. Gave them a complain-call today. Promised to send a technician tomorrow… Lets see! Keep you updated.
The bad connection holds me from posting. Uploading text goes that slow, servers run into a time-out. Don’t even think about publishing a picture…
Meanwhile rain season started. For a few weeks daily rain with the sun peeping through the clouds now and than. Temperatures are still nice. I cook and eat outside on my roofed veranda. The location choice of my self-rebuilt ruin is perfect for this weather. The moments of sun hit straight this little house, drying rain-wet plus warming out- and inside. The main house on the other side of this small valley stays wet and moist in the shadow of the hills.
Avant gardening goes slow with rain, but the apple tree gave many very tasty ‘Granny Smith’s’. Enough keeping myself up with natural vit-c until orange harvest.
25
In rain season I carefully walk the valley trails after dark. This is not late evening. Darkness falls between 6 and 7 pm. The time of the toads and salamanders starts. They like the wet and dark. Suddenly the paths are crowded. Many of them crossing, sauntering, hanging around. Like Saturday night on a large town popular disco/bar strip. The toads are mostly just passing. They are on their way to certain destinations. Salamanders hang and saunter. With a torch I move slow trying not to step on any. Salamanders are never alone. If you see one there must be another nearby. It looks like a ‘scoring’ ritual. Some toads I meet are huge, reaching length of 5 to 6 inches. Those big ones are beautiful animals showing their macho grey-brown body, shaped like fighting machines of a cheap 50ties science-fiction. Toads are harmless. Every time spotting a big one it reminds me making pictures, but I never carry a camera. Don’t think about these things. Should try to make this a habit.
Last week I saw an amazing group of giant mushrooms in the valley near the stream. After few days I finally thought about it and walked to the spot with my camera. Half of the mushrooms where destroyed, trampled by some animal. Must have been that deer hanging here for months. See the footsteps everywhere and had twice a close encounter when coming to drink early morning. This deer ate all cabbage plants in the veggie garden plus almost all leaves and fruits of a fig. Oh well, that’s nature, we all try to survive…
In rain times this valley is depressive. Not much to do. Huge amounts of water from surrounding hills gathers here. Makes life outside almost impossible. Devastating, especially because there is barely inside. Only two small mountain cabin kinda houses. From the window I watch the water washing valley’s greens, bringing yellow mud, moving rocks, damaging plants and creating chaos. The valley is named ‘Juntas’, pronounced Portuguese. The ‘J’ should sound like a hard swallowed S: ‘schj’. The ‘u’ like ou in ‘you’. Right pronunciation is ‘Schjountas’. The word has several meanings all related to the English ‘join’. It means ‘joining together’, but its also related to ‘cooperatives’ and ‘committees’. Probably the English word ‘join’ has its origin in ‘junta’. My thought is that locals called this valley Juntas because all the water from the hills ‘junts’ here together.
No technical from the PT today. I am waiting over one hour to get connected. Decent though, they called. Due to weather they will come another day. I gave up. drop this post from the internet cafe…
30
Last weekend I was in Cartaxo, town approximately 150 km south, attending a gig. Funny, I would not know any closer location that does concerts regularly. Even more ‘weird’, when leaving I didn’t even know who was playing. Just going for a good night out. The band isn’t important. Being away from Juntas is the reason why. And look…no more rain here. In the south the sun shines!
The venue and promoter is familiar to me. Know a few people too. 3 bands where listed, one French (The Rockandys), a Portuguese (Alek Rein) and the headliner, from the US,….’ofcourse?’ (The Asteroid # 4). # 4 was entertaining. Well harmonizing guitars. Psychedelic modern version of the 60ties ‘Electric Prunes’. I had my fun.
At Juntas cats and dog are taking care of. Anyway, I returned after one night. Yes, there is a dog again. Not mine though, but temporarily visiting. It belongs to the kennel where a disease threaten young dogs. This one can stay until the virus is banned. His name is Cedi. Here a picture:
NOVEMBER
5
Short post today. Will write a few more this week, but now only a picture of the instrument I performed on @ the FMSA jams. The FMSA CAN:
10
Finally I manage to change my horrible internet situation. At the moment I have something that works. Its a wireless USB modem. Maybe not so weird for you and sure I am familiar with this possibility for a long time. Purchased a stick more than 2 years ago. In those days I still suffered a microsoft program. The server had very bad signal and was barely workable. Meanwhile that microflop shite collapsed (of course) and I returned to good old Linux. Pity, non of these USB modems work on Linux operation systems. Making it compatible I have to be online for some time. First I figured out what company has the best signal at my whereabout. At a friends place with solid internet we cracked the modem so it is ‘free’ for use of any company sim-card. It worked! At the moment I am using the best internet connection since I moved to Portugal, but honestly, shame on the Portuguese internet suppliers, I had to work this myself. Surviving in Portugal means not to rely on whatever is offered.Tomorrow a contractor is coming doing some last important maintenance on the rental house. The living room gets a new floor, kitchen is being tiled, etc… So I made some preparations like taking the old floor out. Its the most rotten and eaten wooden floor I ever removed. Miraculous nobody cracked through earlier…. Here a picture, half way….
14
Regular readers know I am not busy informing myself about the latest news. Honestly, all news passes me by. So this might be sounding funny to you, but the news of Lou Reed’s passing reached me yesterday. Eddie (PTV3) told me when I mentioned to him that there is so much Lou Reed on Portuguese radio, even on the non-pop stations (I don’t listen pop-stations). Not paying attention to moderators, I assumed he probably would come for a gig to Portugal. Wrong! It also explains the extreme high amount of visitors on this site few weeks ago. It must have been friends and acquaintances who thought I would write something about Lou’s passing. Everybody who has been in my house found many vinyl’s of Lou Reed in my collection. I was much into Reed, especially in the 70ties. Besides that I liked his music, it was also a ‘scene’ thing. The Velvet Underground was popular among all of us. I also listened to his solo albums until a certain period. When I was 11 years old I already purchased Velvets ‘White Light, White Heat’. After that I bought every release, even Metal Machine Music. Yes, I had the original pressing of MMM. The record that disappeared out of the stores after a few days! (The record company thought it wouldn’t sell and put bad reputation on Lou’s career, so they pulled the record back). I remember well purchasing that record. Hans (record store owner, read the Zanzibars Twist download page on this site for more info) ordered a copy for his store knowing that I would come demanding the new Lou Reed release. Standing in front of the counter we had a strange little conversation. He asked me “do you really want this record” I said “yes”. Hans: “Are you sure?”. Me “yes”. Hans: “But did you ever hear some music from this record?” Me, getting annoyed: “sell me this record goddamned! Stop wining about it”. He sold me the record with the message that I would back in a day turning it in. I didn’t. At home I played Metal Machine Music completely. I listened it from the beginning to the end and moved it into my Lou Reed/Velvet Underground section of the record collection.
I somehow got ‘over’ Lou in the 80ties, when English became somehow my first language and his lyrics got more clearly registered in my brains. Wow, what is Lou cynical, and negative too. I started to dislike his music and didn’t play the records that often any more but still kept on purchasing new releases until ‘Songs For Drella’ (late 80ties). Making career in music bizznix promotion copies of a few 90ties releases where given to me. ‘Magic And Lost’ , ‘Set The Twilight..’, ‘Perfect Night’ (Live) and ‘Ecstacy’. All these cd’s disappeared again. I gave them away. Same with a few records like ‘Live in Italy’, ‘Growing Up In Public’ and some more. Have to look into my collection which. Lou made many ‘lesser good’ records. I understand! The old record company contracts force you to produce within a certain time. This can be contradictory with creative inspiration. After ‘Berlin’ Lou was very mediocre for a long time. ‘Rock and Roll Animal’, ‘Live’, ‘Sally Can’t Dance’, ‘Coney Island Baby’, ‘Rock and Roll Hearth’,…. All not so great records, but ok. Think of this list I only dumped ‘Live’ and kept the others for memory. Lou was better again with ‘The Blue Mask’ for a moment, but lost it immediately again with ‘Legendary Hearts’, ‘Mistrial’, ‘New Sensations’. I kept only ‘Legendary Hearts’, again…memories…. ‘New York’ and ‘Songs For Drella’ where very good again. After that I was definitely over it. If you never purchased a Lou Reed release but want to start now, you will be complete with ‘Transformer’, ‘Berlin’, ‘New York’ and ‘Songs For Drella’. Of course you must get the 4 Velvet Underground releases ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’, ‘White Light, White Heat’, ‘The Velvet Underground’ and ‘Loaded’. Forget ‘Squeeze’, it sucks.
I visited a good amount of Reed performances through the years. The last one was in Ljubljana (Slovenia). Year I forgot, but it was the ‘Ecstacy’ tour. I even attended Velvet Underground reunion shows in The Netherlands (somewhere late 80ties or early 90ties?). I am very bad in the exact dates. I know, its easy looking them up on the internet, but… too lazy and what does time matter.
Lou’s live performances where pretty boring. He just was there with his band playing the set dry, efficient, accurate, not exploding in energetic jams or interesting communication with the audience. I understand! This was his ‘thing’. For decades (since the 70ties) Lou’s live sets where predictable with many standards, always starting the gig with ‘Sweet Jane’, playing his hits in the beginning and end performing few songs of his latest album in the middle. Most remarkable though was a live album from the later 70ties ‘Take No Prisoners’. A recording from the ‘Bottom Line’ club in NY. Lou talks through the complete gig. So far I didn’t mention this period of Reed’s career. Somehow I liked it the most although it also includes his worst record ever ‘The Bells’. I think what attracted me on this period was the sound. Lou performed with a kind of synth on his guitar that created a massive distorted orchestration sound. I loved it. ‘Take No Prisoners’ is a recording from that period. Even ballads like ‘Pale Blue Eyes’ and ‘Coney Island Baby’ are performed in a massive wall of distorted noise. The ‘studio’ album Lou introduced this sound with “Street Hassle’ is the only record that here, in my house, survived. Its finds it way to my turntable regularly, while the others (even ‘Transformer’) just stand there holding dusty memories.
Lou’s passing didn’t shock me. Of course I was surprised for a moment hearing the news, but lets be honest, he wasn’t the youngest either. Its obvious to me that many ‘stars’ of my generation are reaching the age of leaving. Naturally. Nothing to be sad about. Sure all my support to the people (family) who where living close to him, like I would support anyone living close to a person they lost, famous or not. But Lou I never knew personally, only his records.
Its a generation thing. Expect many to follow soon. There is simply just a certain amount of years in your live. Probably much younger people, who grew up with very different ‘stars’, will be lesser effected by these kind of passings. Time moves on.
Surfing the web learning what cause made him pass I must say, Rock and Roll took him. I probably pass similar, but without transplantation. My liver will simply give up. No money for replacement, no media either. No radio, no newspapers, no tv, no memorial. Just me…death!
This drink is to you Lou, tanx for the good moments I had with your music.
20
My massive improved internet connection (tanx to Portuguese PT, the most shitty company in the world, that absolute low and bad, I was forced finding this great, real working – and cheaper – option) had me reading many pages of this site (Limbabwe). I must have been my most regular visitor last weeks. For the first time since in Portugal I could have a good look at almost all pages. Some editing has to be done. Especially in the text. My English improved since starting to write. Will start all that coming months. The chaos of old posts will stay how they are. The last two years (2012/2013) have to be grouped in pages. Maybe I re-write a few funny or important posts (like my Sex Pistols gig in 1977). Yep, muito maintenance to be done here. Finally I can start.
And here new European 2014 dates of PTV3. A short Scandinavian trip:
Friday February 21, Norway, Oslo; Blå
Saturday February 22, Finland, Helsinki; Tavastia
And an ‘official’ promo pic:
Pict by Yasuko Shiratsuchi
DECEMBER
1
Ohhhghee, I am skipping all that posting again. But I will pick it up, especially this upcoming week. Those who visit for years know, beginning of December is the ‘Dissing the Dutch’ week. Thats where those Dutcheese get public with their latent racist feelings…. More upcoming days.. Meanwhile I am avant gardening. Weather is great, lots of sun, warm days, although it does cool of in evenings. I am cleaning bushes, chopping wood, cutting trees (that are threatening buildings) and its time for the olive harvest. Yep, the trees in the olive garden are full with olives. This is the first year since I am here. Former years the trees only showed poorly a few green ones. Have non experience with olive picking, but I look at neighbours how they do it (this valley is full with olive gardens). Everybody seem to have their own system. Hand-picking, shaking tree, hit branches,… They all do it differently. So I decided to try them all. Shaking the tree and whipping the branches doesn’t work well. The olives are ripe, but don’t seem to come of easy. Yes, it sounds weird, but I see many neighbours cutting branches of and start to whip them above a cloth or net, with another branch. What everybody does is cutting the olive trees during harvest. Logic, it makes the picking easier and the trees need to be maintained, cut and shaped anyway. That’s what I do too. Here a picture of the olive garden today…
Upcoming months Limbabwe present a new release: freshly made cold pressed ‘super extreme extra avant virgin’ olive oil.
3
FINALLY PROTEST. ITS ABOUT TIME. Soon more about this subject
5
Every year in this period (first week of December) I write a similar post on December 5 starting somehow like this: ‘today is the saddest day in Dutch (The Netherlands) history. Today the Dutch celebrate their latent racist feelings covered up by a children party’. And again, yes also this year, I will protest this horrible Dutch ‘historic’ event where they celebrate Saint Nicholas. Writing and explaining in my posts every year I will not go to deep into the facts this time. If you are interested go back reading posts of previous years published early December. Still for those who visit this site recently let me briefly explain what is going on:
In The Netherlands Santa Claus appears in the evening of December 5 (instead of x-mass in most countries). This is based on the name-day of the real Saint Nicholas, December 6. The ‘present’ party for children developed to an event far from reality, based on a fantasy story created through centuries. Let me explain the nowadays party:
Santa Claus comes from Spain with a ship. He comes with helpers. These helpers are all …. ahum …black! Santa Claus is white (pink) and looks like the santa we all know from x-mass, long white beard a.s.o. Claus is the good old wise guy. His (black) helpers are a little bit dumb, funny, foolish, obeying and punish the naughty kids (bogeyman). This person is called ‘Zwarte Piet’ (Black Pete). Black Pete is almost always a white (pink – Caucasian) person turned into a ‘Black Pete’ using stereotype ‘Negro’ ideas from more than 100 years ago, slavery time. Black Pete has a big ring in his ear, hair long curly black, big red lips and of course, the face is completely painted black.
A Dutch Black Pete (Saint Nicholas in the background):
Now, this so called Dutch white ‘Black Pete’ is the problem. What happens here isn’t this what we modern developed people see as ‘discrimination of people with a dark skin aka racism’?
Yes, and from the moment being aware of this I protest it. But not the Dutch! Almost my complete life the protest was waved by all Dutch people I talked to with arguments like: ‘come on its a children party. Kids are indifferent for this, they don’t notice colour of skin or such’, ‘its an old tradition, what are you upset about’,… aso. And these remarks often come from friends and acquaintances, well educated and calling themselves ‘alternative’ or are/where part of a squatting movement, anarchist movement,…. Yes unbelievable, thats how firmly rooted this conservative, calvinistic racist ‘tradition’ is in Dutch society.
Its the reader clear that although being a children party, ‘Sinterklaas’ (Dutch for Santa Claus) is celebrated in all age groups, also grown ups. And they should see the difference! Some traditions must change, how difficult this is for the rusted old calvinistic society The Netherlands is (and always was).
Yes my post is long this time. And I am far away from being finished. This year there is light in the dark doomed polderland tunnel. Black Pete is protested, and it is heard! I was very surprise and a little bit happy. For years I thought I was the only one (yelling at Dutch ‘activists’ “why does nobody protest?” Answer: “no time, I have to dress myself up as Black Pete tonight for the party”).
It is hard to believe nobody else protested this horrible racist thing that got so accepted in Dutch society before. Probably more people did, but this year media paid attention. It was unavoidable, the protesters show up where Santa Claus and his Black Petes appear.
Protest against Black Pete in The Netherlands:
A sign printed on posters and T-shirts appeared saying ‘NO BLACK PETE’ (see former post or home page of this site). Finally! Its about time that every Dutch person realizes that you can not come with something like Black Pete. This character must be written out of the story.
Saint Nicholas is celebrated in more countries (Belgium, Germany,..) There he doesn’t have helpers. Black Pete appears only in The Netherlands (like ‘apartheid’). Approximately 150 years ago Pete is written to the story by a forgotten Dutch writer (I forgot his name too). This writer had a reputation being racist, so lets keep going forgetting him and delete Black Pete too.
Back to the facts. The real Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus is based on, was born in Greece and lived in an area now called Turkey. He lived in the 3rd century (yep, thats a long time ago). The story goes that he gave ‘secret gifts’ to the poor, children,.. Saint Nicholas was never even close to Spain. The closest he ever got was Italy, 700 years after his death! Due to lost holy wars his bones got transported to Bari. Later these remains where moved to Venice, where, whatever can be left after such a long time, is till today.
I remember touring with The Pharcyde, LA based hip hop band with mainly Afro-American members, somewhere in the 90ties. We where in The Netherlands early December. Driving in a town with the van we saw some Black Petes on the pavement. The crew was shocked! “What is that?” They yelled. They couldn’t believe it! I tried to explain something about this stupid racist Dutch tradition. Some of their remarks: “You can’t do this, its insulting”, “In the USA someone going out dressed up like that will be shot before reaching the first street corner”.
I am not for violent protest but I would like to call everybody up in The Netherlands who has common sense and wants to do something against Black Pete to go out on the street in groups coming days (assume many move the party to the weekend). Take soap, jerry can with water and towels. Snatch every Black Pete you see. While a few hold him, others wash the black of the face and let the person go as ‘White Pete’, or better just ‘Piet’ (Pete).
9
The party weekend is over. I removed the ‘No Black Pete’ sign from the home page. Former post will stay plus the ‘No Black Pete’ sign of the post before the former post. And again next year I will write about this horrible Dutch issue.
Probably everybody went back to their normal daily routine life, the santa’s, protesters and black pete’s. Everybody forgot the issue on the ‘AfterMonday’. This year was interesting to experience that especially foreign press (not Dutch) spend lots of attention to ‘Black Pete’ while the Netherlands news only reported about the scandal when protesters showed up at Santa Claus arrival.
So this is it? Nothing happens further… The Dutch keep on allowing themselves to be racists?
Although call ups for a nation wide discussion about the questionable ‘Black Pete tradition’, nothing seem to move…
The problem is with the Dutch society. Its modern, developed, educated, rich, rational, balanced and well arranged. We all know The Netherlands lost its ‘liberal’ and ‘tolerance’ reputation some time ago, so I leave those terms out. Still in an educated, developed, balanced society you would expect that discussions about internal racist issues are possible. Not in The Netherlands. The ‘Black Pete’ tradition is deeply rooted. This tradition cannot be discussed. That is the main problem in Dutch society. It misses the will and guts to see nowadays reality. The Netherlands became a multi-cultural society. Many Dutch people feel very offended by a figure like ‘Black Pete’. Its about time the nation opens its mind and start looking into this…and other racist issues that occur within their borderlines.
Re-watching the news items of the first ‘Black Pete’ protests during the ‘arrival party’ of Santa Claus and Black Pete’s in November (few weeks before the actual celebration, December 5) the major of Amsterdam talked to the press after the parade. He said it was a great party, The Santa with Pete’s where funny, the children had a good time, the protesters behaved (they protested silent), nothing distracted happened…
This is The Netherlands, everybody had their share, the audience, major, police, Black Pete’s and protesters. All happy, going home watching themselves at the 8pm news broadcast on tv.
‘Wintertime and the living is easy’.
You can all go to sleep safely now. Nothing will change. Tomorrow will be the same day.
11
No, I don’t have anything against individuals living in The Netherlands. Its just a country, borderlines drawn on a map after latest war. Still, like in so many countries, the inhabitants present themselves as a society. Individuals would probably think about this subject different if the propaganda machine of those in power wouldn’t bother about the nation heritage and morals. But this is another post I will write in far future. I will write a bit more criticism about The Netherlands soon. Carrying a Dutch passport myself (although not living there for an extreme long time anymore), I do feel entitled to have that critical view. The insider looking back in from outside!
But today something about my now hereabout. Like many do or don’t know Portugal has many ‘micro climates’. This means the climate can change within a few yards…. The valley I live in is a good example of that. I posted about this some time ago. Was fixing up a ruin on the ‘sunny side’, that never freezes. Therefore I fixed up this ruin. Its warm in the winter. All day sunshine, nice temperatures, orange and olive trees, very comfortable spot. Just before the summer I moved from the ‘cold’ to the ‘sunny’ side. This winter is pretty real for Portugal. The cold started earlier than usual. Normally there are a few cold days in February, but this year its already cold for weeks (only at night though, during the day its nice summerish warm). Early morning the micro climate is good visual. The weather changes just a few steps from the house I live in now. Here some pictures where you can clearly see this:
This picture I took from the ‘frozen side’. Sun just came up, its about 8am. You can clearly see the ‘freeze-line’. The house I live in is centre, a bit up, on the non frozen part.
Here a view from the house-side:
The white is all frozen ground. It stops in the field, closer to the stream. From that point on nothing never gets frozen. Its an interesting twist of nature, easy to explain. The house side is in the wintersun all day, while the other part of the valley stays in shadow. Sure, the frozen ground warms up during the day and all white will be gone, but it misses the sunshine that keeps the other side of the valley warm, even during the night. Also wind plays a role here. The ‘sunny side’ leans against a northern hill, that stops cold winds. Anyway, its December, the Dutch had already their santa pete, xmass is on its way, and I am still cooking and having dinner outside on the veranda.
14
Autumn comes late. Trees are now slowly changing colour. Some oaks are still green! And its half December. Nature needs to hurry up, otherwise spring is here without even finishing autumn. And spring does come early. Usually February is the month everything starts to bloom. Gosh… Winter only has one good month left…..
The estate is nice with many different trees, but its situated in the middle of a huge commercial eucalyptus forest. These trees are grown for industrial needs, making paper, wood chips a.s.o. Last months a big part of the hill was chopped. These foresters don’t care about nature and leave a mess. Together with forest fires in the summer the hills around can look devastating, like they do now. Here I picture I made higher up.
Far in distance the village, more up, a little bit of centre (right) the red and white of a lonely house. My whereabout.
22
Don’t know how it is where you are, but here at Juntas nature is totally crashing out of the bend. Its my third winter here but I didn’t see this before. Although some trees did lost all leaves few weeks ago, there are still many that are even partly green. Yes, the Mimosa stay green all year (and few other trees), but look at this oak for example:
Former winters this tree was totally bald. No leaves whatsoever already in November. Now its almost shitmass and the tree behaves as if it is September, and autumn just starts.
Meanwhile a small peach tree (totally bald) starts to grow buds, as if it is early March…spring! Look:
Here at Juntas nature skips winter. It goes from early autumn to early spring in one short jump. Wonder what the orange tree (winter fruit) will give me.
29
Stashing records (read previous post). We all have different ways to stash them. Alphabetic would be the most logic and easiest. Filing by music style is difficult and can lead to insulting artists. In the 90ties I worked a lot with a forgotten US-SF band called Consolidated. Try to find them in record stores. Pop…no, Rap…no, Rock…no, Electro…no. Its difficult to file a band that covers so many styles so most record store owners convicted them to the ‘Industrial’ bin. Funny, the sound of Consolidated doesn’t even get close to Throbbing Gristle or Ministry. Probably ‘Industrial’ became the dump-section for everything the store employee can’t place.
I stash my vinyl’s alphabetic creating huge confusion for visitors by combining artists. Sure all Beatles solo careers go under the B, that’s something we all can follow, but for my Miles Davis records you have to look under the C of Coltrane. Logic? For me it is. The only Miles vinyls I have are those where Trane contributes on, and lets be honest (lets kick some standard statements from there thrones here) Trane was (is) so muiti much better than Davis! Trane makes Davis sound like pop, thats probably why so many adore Miles. Its more about the ‘story’ than the music, and thats the definition of pop! So, a personal touch here in my vinyl file. My CS&N, CSN&Y, Buffalo Springfield and Stills and Young are all to find under Y and Nico, John Cale, Velved Underground all under R. Logic! If not for you, go study some music history. I am not filing records by ’emotional life events’ (High Fidelity) or other weird ideas. My vinyl order came automatically when records got purchased and found there place.
So here I publish a picture giving away a bit of my personality, something I usually keep far from public channels: a picture showing a part of my chaotic vinyl collection:
