Inese Dūka

Homesick

One of the things I hoped to find out while living here in Brussels was to know if and when I would become homesick. I successfully visited my family for a weekend in March. Had my mom over for my birthday. Yes, both were nice but neither of those made me homesick. It turned out that all it took was a couple of days in Berlin with Susanne. The lillacs were in full bloom and the smell reminded me of my parents house. We went to the botanical gardens where the greenhouses smelled just like the ones my mom works in and irises bloomed just like in front of my parents' house. And there were the most perfect meadows for making Midsummer's eve daisy wreaths… I guess what made it all the more sad was the awareness that it will never be the same because I just don't live there any more. From now on I will always be only a guest there…

Ally Mcbeal said...

"I have a good job, great friends and a loving family. Infinite freedom and endless bubble baths. Is there anything more to want?..."

You're still young…

You know how always this phrase is used to tell us that there still is so much for us to do and see. And mostly this is considered to be a positive thing. But some people have looked beyond the general positivism of the idea of being young and have put it into words. The best example I know for this is written by a Latvian writer Māra Zālīte and it has been turned into a touching song by the band Lādezers.

Tu esi vēl jauns tev viss vēl priekšā,
vēl tava māte mirs un dzisīs tev uz rokām.
Ar sāpēm sapazīsies, satiksies ar mokām.
Vēl tevi draugi nodos, mīlestība smies.
Vēl jēgu meklēsi, un rūgti pievilsies.
Tu esi vēl jauns, tev viss vēl priekšā.
Vēl šausmās skatīsies uz grumbām un uz krokām,
kas seju krokos tik pēc sava prāta.
Kaut paēdis, tu allaž alksi sāta.
Tu esi vēl jauns, tev viss vēl priekšā.
Par visu maksāsi, ko dzīries ņemt par velti,
un nāves bailēs tu glābsi sevi.

The rough translation into English would be:

You're still young, everything's still ahead of you
Your mother will die and breathe her last breath in your arms
You'll get to know pain, you'll meet torment
You're friends will betray you, love will laugh at you
You'll look for the meaning and will be bitterly disappointed
You're still young, everything's still ahead of you
You'll look in horror at wrinkles and creases
That will wrinkle your face to their liking
Though you'll have eaten enough, you'll always crave for satiety
You're still young, everything's still ahead of you
You'll pay for everything you thought you'd take for free
And in fear of death you'll save yourself

Endless possibilities - go figure what life holds for you…

Some dreams DO come true

Last Wednesday somewhere there was a young teenage girl jumping of joy. Or was it me?...

Ever since I remember myself I have been listening to music. Singing along. Trying to write down the lyrics. Noting down the first 3 songs of MTV's European Top 20 (don't ask me why…). By the end of high-school the walls of my room were almost completely covered in posters of singers and bands I liked. (Unfortunately there are no photos to show the beauty...) Since I was around 9 I started watching German TV. Then in the beginning of the 90's the show Bravo TV came out. They showed many features about fans meeting the stars they liked. And I always felt a bit envious because I knew that nothing like that is ever going to happen to me. Because there is just no way that, let's say, Take that or Caught in the Act would ever come to Riga. So I settled for watching others live my dreams. And go to the concerts of the musicians that did come to Riga - East 17, Smokey, Bryan Adams, Depeche Mode…

But then I moved to Brussels - the heart of Europe. And it turns out it's a better location concert-wise than Riga. So last week I saw somebody in concert that I most definitely never thought I would see - Ricky Martin. All I needed to do was to buy my ticket online, later it was mailed to me and then I just took the bus around the corner from our house and half an hour later I already was in the arena. As simple as that. And yes, he was totally worth the 45 euros. Of course, the concert wasn't perfect. I thought the music was a bit too loud for such a small room. And I wish I had seen him closer. (It just hadn't occurred to us that there would be seats for a Ricky Martin concert (not that anybody remained seated), so my plan of sneaking close to the stage barrier could not be carried out…) But besides that it was really great. His music itself is already great - you just can't help but move when you hear it. And then there was Ricky. Boy, does he know how to move… And if all of this isn't enough for a great concert experience there were 2 more added bonuses for me: 1) many of his moves I had watched on the TV for years and it was great to see him actually do them live, and 2) as I am in my "Spanish phase" I was very touched that he was the first Spanish guy to sing "for me" live… I was close to tears, I tell ya… ;-)))

My next plan for realising my dreams is a Bon Jovi concert in London. I have already paid for the concert ticket and have received the train ticket. I hope it will all work out. And then in July it will be time for Bryan Adams, Simply Red and Sting. Can't wait!!!! Perhaps if it is going so well with realising my dreams I should keep on hoping for the lunch with Pete Sampras?... :-D