✉ Little Cloud

TODAY'S TRAVEL PHOTO OF YESTERYEAR: 

I got up at the break of dawn to wander along the empty beach. The morning was perfect. The air crisp; and still in morning's shade the sand, cool beneath my feet. A dotted line of footsteps followed me as I followed a little cloud to the watermark edge of the shore. It was evident that the cloud had invited me for a private swim in the crystal clear waters. Needless to say I complied.                   

- LA ISLA BONITA -

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La Isla Bonita

The first song I heard on the beach in Seychelles was a Bob Marley song. 'Redemption Song' played on a little old school wireless from underneath a tree next to a local dreadlocked carpenter who was busy carving little island memorabilia pieces. As I walked along the beach, the waves were composing music of another effect. The more inland I walked, the louder a familiar melody was playing. I found my lunch spot under the shade of a song and a few palm trees. Madonna's "La Isla Bonita"; the beautiful island indeed. I sat there overlooking the turquoise waters, overwhelmed by the expectations met and thrilled about the arrival of a like-minded friend who agreed to join me in crossing off our very predictable island itinerary checklist. And for the next two days, I found myself smiling with a song in my heart, for one by one, little dreams were coming true. 

There is one thing that excites me so when arriving at a new destination in the hours of darkness: waking up to find an unexplored world around you. You feel transcended instead of transported; transparent, entranced - you're young.

You run out, keen to grasp as much of this transient dream as possible. 

And this is exactly how i'll remember this place. Green, green forests on hills that rise out of the sea; turquoise waters and rocks that remind me of smoother clay versions of sunken rhinoceroses.

The quiet island life is then interrupted only by actions serene enough to qualify as leisure. Some go canoeing, some collect seashells, others can't sit still and opt for taking hundreds of photographs to one day remember just how very relaxed they were on that day.

A kind and gentle landscape meets the sea. The shore gets washed with soft lace trimmings sweeping to and fro.   

I went left.

A picture of me and the sea. Blue and white, blue and white.

The simple pleasures: making small decisions that turn out to be good choices. And I sure relished in the fact that the colour of my nail varnish went so well with the powdery sand. And it was just a matter of time for my skin to take on Summer's glow. 

This charming little flower made me smile. 

My tree! (And most probably everyone's tree who walks by.) But for a couple of minutes it was my tree. Pure, uncomplicated joy.

I had to be really bored as kid to actually page through my mother's 'Garden and Home' magazines. So you can guess just how surprised I am that I always seem to end up including some plant in the equation of an album. But these are foreign plants. And one must record such details (either for future reference or for a classic background for some relative's desktop.)

Boat and sea. 

The seaweed bracelet made me feel all animated and mermaidy. But I felt like the bracelet gave me powers to chase away clouds. (It never rained that day. Too bad I threw the magical seaweed back into the turquoise water.) 

 "Tropical the island breeze.
All of nature wild and free.
This is where I long to be.
La isla bonita."

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✉ Winter's Magic

TODAY'S TRAVEL PHOTO OF YESTERYEAR: 

On my return flight from New York, I looked out the window. A hushed landscape slowly moved beneath our sleepy air carriage. In icy blocks and cracked pieces of land, did Winter lay, half frozen, quite still. Under the covering of a cloudy blanket, I knew the other animals rested; in burrows and dug out dwellings. 
We were all after that warmth that brings us closer. Winter's magic gets me every time.                         

- MINIATURE TIGERS, FREELANCE WHALES & POLAR BEAR SUGAR COOKIES -

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✉ Polar Bear Sugar Cookie

TODAY'S TRAVEL PHOTO OF YESTERYEAR: 

Today I think back of the polar bear sugar cookie that kept me warm in Starbucks on that cold wintery day in New York City. This little guy made me smile, and sweetly so. The smile did not vanish for a while, for my caramel brulee latte was wrapped in the words that do give meaning to my life. 

"Stories are gifts. Share."

It seemed the polar bear knew it all along. I knew too, that I was meant to be there that day; with a polar bear sugar cookie and a hunger for sharing stories.                           

- MINIATURE TIGERS, FREELANCE WHALES & POLAR BEAR SUGAR COOKIES -

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✉ Stars and Stripes and Songs.

TODAY'S TRAVEL PHOTO OF YESTERYEAR: 

These were the streets to be tread upon. The commuters guided by stripes, the dutiful lead by their stars. And so I ambled too, in the crowds of beings; wide-eyed in their constant traffic. A halt at the red light induced an unexpected stillness. Then in accord with the scene, I searched for background music. Songs flitted through my mind as I faced the yellow blur of passing taxis. But inevitable, this well known melody started: hummed, as if drawn from all the hopes around me. A sweet rendition of Simon and Garfunkel's America. I looked at the people: the rushed, dreamers, the caring, the confident, the loners, the thrilled. "They've all come to look for America". Lost in the song for a little, the green light prompted me forward. I crossed the stripes, knowing that I will soon find my own song.                          

- MINIATURE TIGERS, FREELANCE WHALES & POLAR BEAR SUGAR COOKIES -

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✉ Little Pro

TODAY'S TRAVEL PHOTO OF YESTERYEAR: 

She was brave. She was fast. She fell. She got up. She was most probably wearing the tiniest ice skates ever made. I have absolutely no idea who this kid is, but she sure was a little pro. 

(Let's be fearless too.)                         

- MINIATURE TIGERS, FREELANCE WHALES & POLAR BEAR SUGAR COOKIES -

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✉ Leaving the Winter

TODAY'S TRAVEL PHOTO OF YESTERYEAR: 

I was walking alone, back to our hotel on Lexington Avenue. I needed to sleep before my flight that was to depart that very evening. The linear streets of Manhattan were nearly abandoned, as if I was granted 'alone-time' with this much-loved city. My heart felt somewhat clenched. I had a premonition that I might not see New York for a while. As I looked up at the dark brick building in front of me, a bare and icy current of air swept past; and a sadness came over me. But this goodbye was accompanied by hope too, even though I did not and will not know what will happen in all of the tomorrows that lie ahead. There were twinkly lights in these branches. A willingness in me accepted this uncertain future, for I knew that therein lies the promise of adventure. Even though a flowing cloak of Melancholy drifted behind me in the wintery air, I was so happy to realize that I have so much to live for and work towards. I would see New York City again.                           

- MINIATURE TIGERS, FREELANCE WHALES & POLAR BEAR SUGAR COOKIES -

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*The refrain of the song "Dark Tower" by the Miniature Tigers played in my head as I made my way through the right angled streets of Manhattan. I did not know the lyrics at the time. I am more of a melody affected listener anyway. But it made me feel like I walked with a cloak of melancholy around my shoulders. I embraced the atmosphere at the time. Sometimes it is good to melt like that.   

✉ A Silent Thank You

TODAY'S TRAVEL PHOTO OF YESTERYEAR: 

How the world changes when you walk with music in your ears and a looking glass in your hand. Every time I see this image, the gratitude reverberates. Thankful about my past, dearly thankful for this present and hopeful about the post-.                                

- MINIATURE TIGERS, FREELANCE WHALES & POLAR BEAR SUGAR COOKIES -

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*This image of the Empire State building remains a favourite of mine. Three prints of this photograph (minus the writing) and some other artworks, were available for purchase at an exhibition at 'Salon 91' on Kloof Street, Cape Town, over the '11-'12 Christmas Holidays. The theme: "if you let yourself love a wild thing". It is a strange thing when the persons who liked your work enough to buy it  and now own it, remain anonymous. A silent thank you then into the sky today; for the individuals who found a liking in this image too. It was lovely to hear that all my works were sold out. An investment of others, unto my own courage. (I smile)*t 

Miniature Tigers, Freelance Whales and Polar Bear Sugar Cookies

I do realize that the name of this album might suggest or even promise to feature at least several animals. And with its generous capacity to contain not only the expected obnoxious pigeons and obedient trained dogs, a concrete jungle like New York City might lead you to believe that a secret wild life community have more than just the seasonal meeting in the park. 

But it was Winter time, and I could not have been expected to do much outdoors. Humans after all, just falling short of the very sensible "hiber nation", need warm comforts, songs, fluffy scarves and love to make sense of keeping up the good work in this kind of cold. And this season's Caramel Brulée lattes were the kind substitutes to those who could not afford these previously mentioned luxuries. But, despite the cold, and obvious lack of animals out on the streets, I shall introduce you instead to the wild life that did inspire this title. A melodic zoo in my head really.   

'Strawberry Fields' played in my head as we travelled over the Atlantic towards New York. "Nothing is real," I sang along to the Beatles song. I was equally entertained by Miike Snow's 'Animal'. (I missed his gig in New York a few months before). But on this particular visit, I looked forward to a certain animal collective, a band called The Freelance Whales. I went to their gig in Webster Hall where I briefly met Charlie and his Miniature Tigers (cool band). And after fun and dancing, I was delighted to see that Röyksopp would be playing at that very same venue the following January (a Norwegian animal of another kind). In the morning after the show, I was introduced to sugar cookies that were much sweeter than Zoo cookies. (I ate a Polar Bear sugar cookie at Starbucks. They are the cutest hand made cookies to date).     

Were I to design a carousal for this trip (a magical one; a flying machine which could transport anyone anywhere), you could choose to sit on either a beetle, or a snow-covered poor Leno, a miniature tiger, a whale or a sugar cookie polar bear. 

So that was what was going through my head in the making of this title. 

A song. Well, a couple. 

So first I was off to Webster Hall in East Village. It has been a Night Club since 1886. I wondered just how close I was to some of the original ornaments in this Night Club. I was pretty close to watching the Freelance Whales though. A fact: I was quite down about a friend's absence that night. It was a friend who initiated this venture in the first place. 

And who have performed here previously? Justice, the Killers, Madonna, Linkin Park, etc. etc. etc. The Recording Studio, which forms part of the building, is where incredible artists have previously recorded their albums. (Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Julie Andrews, Bob Dylan, etc. etc.) New York: it happened here.  

And so the wild night out made me collect even more animals for the zoo in my head. Poor Leno and Mr. Oizo joined in. 

On the second attempt, I woke up and opened my windows. The ever beautiful Manhattan before me.  After getting up and going out, my morning started with an outrageously glazed donut breakfast. Pretty, pretty wild.  

Yellow school buses transported so many kids to the central part of Manhattan. It reminded me of school trips to the Zoo. We never had trips like that where I am from.  

But the excitement was about the ice rink. 

The animal in me, was hooked on the trees in New York. Most branches were dressed in lights, which I found real cute. But the great Christmas tree in front of the Rockefeller was something else. 

And while a young professional kid skated a solo on the ice rink, a young obnoxious pigeon flew solo towards the Condé Nast building. 

Through the Looking Glass toy camera, it appeared that I was walking next to a Park. Oh! Illusion!

Toy. Taxi. 

The Californian Redwoods of the concrete jungle. 

Time and again. 

The day ended with special sparkly lights. The Miniature Tigers song 'Dark Tower' played in my head. Before I left for Lexington Avenue again, I discovered one last animal for the day. A fluffy bird in one of the sparkly branches. 

What a magical little trip it was in December of 2010. And what songs! *(Thank you Miniature Tigers and Freelance Whales for the beat I got to walk to after I left Webster Hall that night).   

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