Changes (again) in this city life (again)

It's been a fortnight since I arrived in this town. And even though I don't have a job yet, I don't have much time. Madonna was wrong.

I walk around the city and I see many things that have changed. The Uniqlo that had closed, opened again. Some other shops vanished, some of them that I liked, even. And where I used to go to buy pens, now there is a nice tea shop. Or a horrible Starsbucks.
The sun is shining and sometimes I am hot. But it is chilly in the evenings.
People has forgotten how to walk, and I keep bumping into them.
The Underground has "planned works" all over and even fires.
I prefer the bus. The open double decker buses are gone. The 49 has changed and I haven't seen a worm 25 yet.
Or I walk. I like walking, but I get lost.
I have come across very nice people, these days. And I have met with friends I hadn't seen in such a long time. I missed them, and seeing them smile or laugh make me so happy.
I've gone to the cinema and I can't wait to start doing other activities.
I went to the gardens.
I've eaten scones and carrot cake.
I've cooked.
I've baked.
I've kneaded.
I've knitted.
I've studied and read a lot.
And just yesterday, when I was on the 14 bus home, Lily whispered in my ears again.

Sun is in the sky
Oh why, oh why
Would I wanna be anywhere else?

And, really, why, if here I feel home and loved?

PS Thank you, and don't you ever say thank you again.

Anouncement
Take Me Out Tonight
has opened its doors.

My comma

As you know, I had lost a comma.
Then, I though I had found it.

And, suddenly, my friend Life'sGood, sent this to me:


She had found it in England.

Who would have know that a comma like this would have travelled, hitch-hiking and all, to return to where she was born.

Now, she is waiting for me in my new home, over there, in London.

I can't wait to see you. Just a few hours.

"I can work in a coffee shop"

I talked few times about borders and foreign affairs. I talked about Catalunya and a possible separation from the rest of the State. I talked about Scotland. And I talked about other minorities that are unheard. Unlistened.

I said before that I don't like borders, passports, but that I like being European. I said before that I would abolish any separation (or leave them just conceptually, i.e. not physically).
I talked before about bureaucracy, and how bad it is.
But today, I have to say, thanks.
Thanks to those who think and work to help others.
Thanks, because you brought so much happiness.
Today I like borders. But next year, I will like them even more.

We still

It is still not ten years ago that I learned about Diana's death.

The day Di died my mother had been trying to wake me for hours. Then, she burst that Diana had died. As a gay I loved her, as a human I admired her. I jumped out of bed.
That day, like when the Pope Karol Józef Wojtyła died, or in September 11, there was nothing else in the telly.
I cried, I must say. Because I couldn't believe she had died. You don't expect people who you "know" since you were little to suddenly die. Yes, it was a shame when the Pope died and I felt sorry and sad, because he was "my" Pope even though I don't even believe in his religion; though, I was "expecting" this to happen, as he was old and ill. Diana... no, she was neither old nor ill. She was just perfect and perfect was supposed to remain forever. Unfortunately, she didn't. She passed away and left us here, wondering what was going to happen. After that, the gossip magazines and the yellow press have had it very hard to find someone like her. Not only for the fact that she was the mother of a future king of the UK but because she was nice and kind, helpful with the ones in need and beautiful.

Self-quoted from "Regina", Jan 29 97

And, still today, I feel like there's something missing. I wonder if she is really dead. I wonder if she is not gone to an island like that The Island of Homer Simpson. I wonder if she is not just hanging around with Doddy and Elvis and James Dean and Kurt Cobain and Janis Joplin and all those who left us too early. I wonder what number would she be. I'd give her the 1.

Today the sun isn't shining.
Today is a sad day.

Today we all remember you; because you are our princess, the princess of our hearts.

PS Today there is a service but Camilla isn't going to be attending. I wonder what Dianda would have liked.

We can fly away

I've have had a song bumping in my head for a while, now. It is a song that I know since I was a child, a song that my sister used to play. A song that I have for ages on CD, a song that, still, never was one of my top ten. But, some time ago, I found a version and I can't take it out of my head. I am talking about "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman, performed by Kristian Leontiou. I've got almost all the Chapman's albums; the self titled album, where this song appears, is her first one and the first one I bought on CD, as well, ages after my sister had lost the K7. I knew of Leontiou, this English singer, when living there and I fell in love with his "Story of my Life"; I bought the album but there was a re-release later on with this cover.

Now I found it and I can't take it out of my head. Also, his version is rather more optimistic than Chapman's (since the original has some more verses).

Fast Car
Kristian Leontiou
Some Day Soon: Special Edition

You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we can make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere

Anyplace is better
Starting from zero got nothing to lose
Maybe we'll make something
Me myself I've got nothing to prove

You got a fast car
And I got a plan to get us out of here
I been working at the convenience store
Managed to save just a little bit of money
Won't have to drive too far
Just 'cross the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
And finally see what it means to be living

You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so we can fly away
We gotta make a decision
We leave tonight or live and die this way

So remember we were driving, driving in your car
The speed is so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
And I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

My old man's got a problem
He lives with the bottle that's the way it is
He says his body's too old for working
I say his body's too young to look like his
My mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life than he could give
I said somebody's got to take care of him
So I quit school and that's what I did

***

Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman



[above lyrics plus what follows]

You got a fast car
And we go cruising to entertain ourselves
You still ain't got a job
And I work in a market as a checkout girl
I know things will get better
You'll find work and I'll get promoted
We'll move out of the shelter
Buy a big house and live in the suburbs
You got a fast car
And I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinking late at the bar
See more of your friends than you do of your kids
I'd always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me would find it
I got no plans I ain't going nowhere
So take your fast car and keep on driving

You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so you can fly away
You gotta make a decision
You leave tonight or live and die this way

Regina

The other day I saw "The Queen", the wonderful Stephen Frears movie. I've seen few of his movies. I enjoyed "Mrs Henderson Presents", which OST I am starting to sing; I "suffered" with "Dirty Pretty Things", and I was at the hotel business then –and in London–, imagine; and I so loved "My Beautiful Launderette", which I should see again.

So now "The Queen". I must say it wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting a ride through the life of the multi-Queen Elizabeth II and found that it was all centered about and around the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, the People's Princess.

The day Di died my mother had been trying to wake me for hours. Then, she burst that Diana had died. As a gay I loved her, as a human I admired her. I jumped out of bed.
That day, like when the Pope Karol Józef Wojtyła died, or in September 11, there was nothing else in the telly.
I cried, I must say. Because I couldn't believe she had died. You don't expect people who you "know" since you were little to suddenly die. Yes, it was a shame when the Pope died and I felt sorry and sad, because he was "my" Pope even though I don't even believe in his religion; though, I was "expecting" this to happen, as he was old and ill. Diana... no, she was neither old nor ill. She was just perfect and perfect was supposed to remain forever. Unfortunately, she didn't. She passed away and left us here, wondering what was going to happen. After that, the gossip magazines and the yellow press have had it very hard to find someone like her. Not only for the fact that she was the mother of a future king of the UK but because she was nice and kind, helpful with the ones in need and beautiful. Now we have Peaches.
I cried watching the movie. I cried again with Helen Mirren. I hope she gets the Academy Award.

I felt terribly sad and terribly sorry for Diana. For her and for her sons. For Charles and for Elizabeth. I know many people has said that before, but it has to be true: no money can buy happiness or peace. I don't want money, I don't like money. Money ruins the world (besides what Jude sings).
My family is just a "normal" family, we don't have bodyguards. So something can happen to us anytime (hope not). But thinking you have everything under control and something breaks apart is too sad.

Life is mysterious. Life is an enigma. Let's live life, let's not try to control it.

PS I loved to see HRH matching telly. I always thought of this: what programs do they watch? I would be the kind of king who is always renting DVDs. Watching the news would be like bringing work home.

Cut here

For the past few weeks I have been trying to avoid any contact with politics. The situation in Spain isn't wonderful. The leader of the opposition does not know how to "discuss" and when to support the govern. He only knows to insult, and frankly, he should learn new words and insults that were coined during the last fifty years.

[Let me interrupt myself to explain something funny. First (not funny but just kind of informative): Spain, although a Kingdom, does not have Prime Minister but President –in words–. Second: the leader of the the ruling party, PSOE, is called the 'General Secretary' but the leader of PP, the opposition, is called 'President'. I just find it so funny that we use different words for same things, ones that are harmless (President-Prime Minister) others that show how they think (Secretary-President).]

But since the terrorist attack the other day it has been quite impossible to avoid Politics. But, at least, I have decided not to watch the News but to read them [I also hear the news on the radio but they are five minutes news' breaks]. This way, if I don't like something, I can just turn the page over or skip the paragraph.
Two days ago it was very quiet at work and I was having a tea while turning pages of the paper. But something got my attention and made me very happy and concerned at the same time.
So it seems that Scotland is thinking of getting the independence and, as per what news say, it seems that surveys show that +50% of English wouldn't mind it to happen.
We have talked about that. We have compared it to Spain, to the situation in Catalonia and in the Basque Country and it seems obvious to me that there is nothing similar. No common points. We are far behind them. But what seems most important, for me, is the feeling of nation. So Scottish feel that are not the same as English. Till here fine. But the distinction comes when the English don't want to be mixed in the same bag as Scots. This is the différance: Spanish (I mean, neither-Basque-nor-Galician-nor-Catalan-nor-etc. Spanish people) feel Spain as One and Unite (almost like " One, Big and Free" from the Falangists, ohoho... not quite, not quite). Or at least this is what is shown in the news.
I guess this happens because Castille has always been stronger than Aragon or, at least, has been trying to rule over us.

I am not going to talk about what will happen, what can happen and what would happen: I leave that for the journalists who are the ones who know about it. I don't want to talk about what did happen, cos this is for the historians. Though, I just want to say that I find it funny and interesting how at about the same period in history, both Spain and Great Britain were created. I mean, that at the beginning of the XVII century the kingdoms of Scotland, Ireland and England - and - the kingdoms of Navarra, Aragón and Castilla y León (plus Asturias and Galicia) (plus Portugal that later was lost along with many other territories) - both groups were united in one same king (one each). In the British Isles it was James I of England (VI Stuart) and in the case of Spain it was Carlos I of Spain (Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor). Though, again, there are differences because Charles was King of Spain as it is today (almost) but James was three times king. Another century had to go by till Scotland and England were definitely united and another century more to be united with Ireland.
Though, it was then, in 1603 that Scotland last had its own king (although, what would you expect if the last Scottish king to speak Gaelic was James' great grandfather, James IV - last King of Aragón to speak Catalan (to the court) was, if I am not wrong, Fernando I of Aragón).

I don't want to say if I support or not, the independence of Scotland, cos I am neither Scottish nor English and it is not I who is going to decide. You have read the lines above so you can get conclusions of what I think. Do not take any assumptions from the image because I did that to illustrate the situation.
Thinking of a great thing as splitting a country in two is something I really can't imagine. Sure, I have studied about Yugoslavia, Ireland and such. But not even the former that happened at a stage of my life I could remember, influenced me at any rate (now it does through the memory of friends). I only remember my sister's slogans.
And now, I am preparing myself to experience the "possible" separation of a country. Whether it happens or not, I can't wait to live it.

The photo in the background of the image,
where the sea should be, shows one of the most known Scottish places,
Loch Ness, taken on a rainy day of July 2004.

Listening to "Graines d'étoiles"
by Émilie Simon and Perry Blake
from the self-named album of the former.

Update: I couldn't find this photo.