A simple blog with the humble ambition of keeping in touch with friends scattered around the world, as "home" is more and more a vague concept. Motto: If-I-am-ever-in-your-neighbourhood-lets-go-for-a-beer!
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Holland today!
I am off to Holland, my traditional yearly trip to visit friends and revisit places that marked a year of my life. Although not dropping by Rotterdam this time, I will be participating in a parallel event to IPM (AIESEC's International Presidents Meeting), an AI reunion.
It will be very cool as nearly half of my team will be there (some people I haven't seen for 2 years) and we will use the opportunity to catch up between ourselves, share what we are up to and the plans we have for our lives. Either experience from different companies or countries, MBA's done or under preparation, EU/UN work or NGO volunteer work in faraway places, this will be cool for me to gather ideas and clarify doubts about different scenarios. These events are definitely a great opportunity to get my mind out of the day to day work and to be mind blown by experiences from these friends who were my "family" during my stay in this grooooovy country!
C&L's Living room, random spanish tunes flowing from the radio...
About to go out for yet another movida experience. Yesterday was great! Caught up with my I., a spanish friend and his gang, basically a group of "rebels" that have a band and sometimes play in bars. Yesterday was one of those nights and I caught up with them during rehearsal just before leaving to the bar.
The concept is simple, the bar as a stage, virtuosos playing instrument, and then people can even join if they feel like it! Two brilliant guitar players, a very good bass player and 2 dudes doing voices and percussion/rythm instruments where my friends band. The joyful, slightly drunk, feeling while druming through a couple of their songs, was a good reminder that I should do this more often with them... And I will!
On the house quest, by next week we should have white smoke and I should be moving into a new place. Cruz Tours shack will have a couple of interesting surprises ;)
28 years completed!!! Thoughts on friendships - life as a train...
1 AM... Back in Madrid, alone in a living room... Kings of Convenience - "Misread" - flowing from the PC speakers...
Another anniversary has passed in this relentless walk towards the end of my 20s... Naturally I chose to spend it in Portugal, yet again to be close to family and friends... Given the fact that I am living abroad I decided to make something special!
Last year I got together for drinks, with my AIESEC/Uni friends and my P&G gang... This year, I organised a dinner and included in the previous my childhood neighbourhood/school gang! he he he! It was cool to look at a room and see many important people to me during those 3 quite different stages of my life :) Unfortunately, there was no international representation, but given the emails and calls that I received I know many of you were there in spirit! Next year, the innovation will be to include my sisters and brothers-in-law (they are demanding it!!) which should be an interesting mix with the previous :))
A couple of thoughts kept running through my mind during these days... One was on friendships...
My father, in his yearly X-mas speech, spoke about the analogy of life as a train ride, where people hop in and out as the train goes through different stations. I really liked it as one can reflect about one's life and identify different segments of the trip and different passengers in one's train. This year and specially this weekend, became a great opportunity to see different kinds of passengers... - the ones that entered and did not walk out (and hopefully will not!!), regardless of distance, age, cycle of life, etc. (and that will stay in spirit forever...); - the ones who stayed for a while, left a signature on the bench/wall/window (positive or negative, bigger or smaller) but eventually left... - the ones who walked in and walked out shortly after... - the ones who were kicked out!
Looking at the previous distinctions, yet again some conclusions came to my mind, that can pretty much be considered an inspiration for next year... - I will make sure the people in the first group KNOW they are there! I don't think I do that very oftenly... In this fu#$%d up world, these moments are needed... - I will learn to say goodbye to the interesting/cool people as the train moves further, as one cannot stay in touch with all of them... - I will stop wasting time trying to keep people in the train that want to leave... not to say to kick some out!
Some statistics... - my family occupies the most important carriage, and with a new niece joining in the beginning of March! - the longest route passenger is there already for 22 years... jeeeze... - people taking the "special seat" never stayed for long... mmm... food for thought ;) - the short route passengers normally show up at night, when the train conductor is slightly drunk and stops everywhere!! (...)
As my train goes abroad for the second time in my life, it will be interesting to see who stays and who goes. Yes, distance will make the contact harder, but for the real Friends I firmly believe this makes no difference. This weekend was a great way to say "goodbye" for the dip I will now do to this new "home" of mine...
And as for other people hanging around in the incoming train stations, I need to keep in mind how easy it was when we were kids... Just chillin in a park... we would approach other kids and simply start talking and playing with them! This used to be a piece of cake twenty years ago so how hard can it be now in a new town??? It's Definitely time to "dip in" the spanish stations... And as for the second set of thoughts, on life and love, lets leave those for tomorrow...
