Some music for my gentle ears

I've finally decided to give classical music concerts a try. Not the free, amateur church kind either, but the real, big concert hall and full orchestra kind of concert. Am I ever glad I did.

Ok, so I can't say exactly whose pieces were played, as there were quite a few of them and I have decided to forgo the program (hey, they charge extra for it!). All i know is the selection was fantastic, the Prague Symphonic orchestra brilliant and the overall experience delightful. 

It is interesting that almost all the seats were sold out and all age categories were present.Watching some people in the audience, it was clear that this is not some social function for many, but a night to appreciate the genius of many great composers of the past. I will definitely be making these concerts a part of my cultural life here in Germany, especially with the 50% student discount on tickets!

where is the snow?

It's been abnormally warm and spring-like in Tuebingen. Went for a nice walk by the Neckar river and the air smelled so fresh, so full of hope and the things to come! Everyone was out: older men with their dogs greeting each other on the streets, families taking pictures, moms pushing the kids in toy cars in front of them... Tuebingen is full of life on a Saturday!

Photo from last week, when I thought there was still a chance to go skiing this weekend.

the travel bug

Some days all that gets me out of bed in the morning is dreaming of the travels to come, researching and planning the sights to see, things to take and to buy at local markets.

 A certain sense of excitement and adventures to be had renews my zest for life. 

When small town winter hibernation seems too much, I remind myself that I am in Europe and there are a million of places to go and see and now everything is that much closer.

 Today, out of curiosity, I “googled “ the best places to live in the world. Not surprising, Canada and new Zealand were second after Europe. Reading one of the websites full of reasons “why move to Calgary” did not inspire me whatsoever. What once seemed like valid, good points now are just weak justifications for settling for something else when my heart desires more. Maybe Calgary is a good place to settle for families with children, but from a single person's point of view, I would rather experience all the other places the world has to offer. 

Ones next to the ocean, preferably.

Happiness

Once again, I come to the conclusion that happiness is a choice. You have to actively choose it and the actions that support it. This means not wallowing, not dwelling, especially in self-pity, or imagining the worst outcomes in the future, or even taking your thoughts seriously.

 By choosing happiness you are taking on a responsibility to dispel any negativity, to always choose love over fear,  to not associate yourself and your identity with the drama and past hurts and pains made up by your mind and perpetuated by your thoughts.

"You are unique, and you have to accept you as you are, instead of trying to repeat other people’s destinies or patterns. Insanity is to behave like someone that you are not.

Normality is the capacity to express your feelings. From the moment that you don’t fear to share your heart, you are a free person."

 Paolo Coelho,
http://paulocoelhoblog.com/
 (I highly recommend to check out his amazing, inspiring blog)

Stand Forth

Quietly contemplating life today... I want to share this with you, written by a very inspiring yoga teacher at the Bodhi Tree Studio, Jon:

"Stand forth. Find your natural state of being full, of being whole, of letting your inner light shine.

Find that internal confidence that is like a quiet inner light, smooth and steady, and allow it to shine. 

Let it shine for no other reason than that it is there and it is beautiful. 

Your inner light has grace and beauty that can be seen even when you are by yourself. 

Be proud, with a quiet humble pride that remains the same when you are talking and when you are silent, that is unwavering whether you are the center of attention or find yourself alone.

 This is your newly familiar feeling of empowerment, settled into your everyday way of being. 

So with faith and courage, stand forth."

Sylvester, aka New Year's Eve

Germans call tonight Sylvester. I have no idea why. So I guess Stallone is "New year's eve Stallone?" weird!

Tonight I'm feeling so grateful for all the wonderful people in my life, even if they can't be next to me right now. All the people who feel my presence, who ask about me and send their loving thoughts and support.

I realized that sometimes it doesn't take much to make an impact in people's lives. And sometimes you don't even know what it is. You are simply being yourself, and somehow that lights up another person in the room and brings a little more joy in their heart. I miss the wonderful people who surrounded me in Calgary, in the dance community, in the spiritual gatherings... but I know that one day we will reconnect again and again we will ignite each other, make someone smile, lighten up someone's day...by simpy being ourselves. But for now I am here and here is where I am anchoring my light for now, while sending love to all those who I think of often.

Also I can see clearly how human beings are suckers for tradition and rituals. That's what tonight is all about. Humans invented it to have a free reset, a free start over button. And hey, its works for some people!

the in-between time

I am starting to miss the beauty of Christmas markets already. Suddenly, there seems to be fewer reasons to go outside and just wander. Do you mean I have to wait a whole  other year for this? Well, I am sure the Germans will think up more reasons to cook up wonderful yummies and sell their wool sweaters in the tiny log stalls again. And whatever the reason is, I'll be there.

Fresh Canvas

I painted my first, real, big painting in so so long! The first one since I'd moved here.What a wonderfully freeing experience! What a burst of  excitement and joy. What an interesting feeling to just cut a piece of canvas from a roll, as big as you want. And suddenly, i want to go big!!! No longer afraid of the size of the canvas, I find the size of the table is not big enough anymore; I want a painting the size of the wall!

Sure, I just painted some colourful lines. And here my ego kicked in: "You call this a painting? A child can do that! What are smiling at? What's here to be proud of? At least draw a palm tree in the foreground or something!" But it makes me happy. Simple as that. Looking at my overly simplified painting, I fill up with warm memories of distant sandy beaches and warm breeze. And in the end, it's not even about what you paint, it's about how you feel when you paint, it's about the emotional release. I realzied that during painting I simply don't think. Because I know that if I start thinking, the paitning will get much worse! So I just follow some instinct, some guidance, without careful sketching or planning. If I like it in the end-great, if not-I had a fun couple hours of pure unrestricted joy! Art is not about a pretty picture or an accurate depiction anymore,-it is a tool to express your wildest fantasies, your dreams and desires, to remind yourself of who you really are. I paint to re-affirm, to feel and to visualize what I know is true.

Sadly, this is NOT Boxing Day!

In zee Germany, boxing day or even week simply does not exist. Or so I was told. I will be making a trip into town tomorrow to check the accuracy of that statement, but today, everything is closed. The Germans like 2 days to digest the food, not just the actual Christmas Day. 

On another note, today i simply miss video rental stores. How lovely would it be to walk in, peruse the new selections, read the descriptions on the back, maybe even strike up a conversation with the sales associate. Or maybe find a hidden gem in the international section. Well, not here. I am still trying to understand the mystery of where and when the English movies are playing (well, the only one for that month!) and beyond that, i might as well go to 1950's silent movies!

Christmas Wonderland

Today found me in winter wonderland: sun was shining all day, reflecting off the beautiful fresh powdery snow. Germany is perfect in the holiday times! So many families were out toboganning on what looked like last century -made wooden sleds, not a piece of plastic to be found! Others were simply walking off their Christmas meals and enjoying the fresh air, anyone from young couples strolling around to elderly ladies, with their power-walks on,-the park was quite a busy area!

After a quick break for early dinner, I remembered about the free Christmas concert at the Jacob's church. As expected, the church was full well before the service began and we only got seats upstairs on the little balcony. The view was quite limited, but I was happy to let my senses dive into the forgotten joy of live classical music. Lovely playful baroque minuets by Handel and amazing strings piece by Williams were played. It was neat not only to experience the music in a 17^th century church but also to people-watch. I couldn't have imagined myself anywhere else that moment. This was a truly European/German experience.

In days like these I feel like I am where I'm supposed to be. Europe feels pretty great. And with New Year's  only few days away, it's time to start taking stock of things that transpired and get ready to welcome the new.