Having left my running shoes in Sweden (last year) I got new one yesterday. I am feeling the excitement start to pump up. Feels good to have a goal in mind.
My goal? Under 2 hours. With a certain branding on my t-shirt…
If running is not for you – what “label” of marathon would you be willing to sign up for ? Set a goal. Get some new shoes. And go at it!
Just to check – better be on the safe side when expressions come my way – to avoid any awkward lost in translation moments… : hap·py-go-luck·y (h p -g -l k ). adj. Taking things easily; carefree. happy–go–lucky. – it’s the attitude that makes or brakes you.
I just had quite an interesting conversation with someone about playfulness and creativity, and how she loved the video when I jumped into the Virtual Facebook Dance Off Championship 2011 last fall. If I would jump out of my creative shoes – and leave the torch to you – what creative video would you come up with?
Memorial Day Weekend. I was thinking to myself, as I walked toward the Golden Gate Bridge Sunday, what does it mean to me?
The one special memory that I do have is a lovely dinner with someone dear to me. I thought at the time, that it would be an anniversary day to celebrate. It still is, in a different way. I choose to see this day as an Invitation to the flavors of life. Flavorful food, rich emotions, openness, growth, communication and celebration of new starts and longevity.
Coming across the exhibition “Whoes Shoes?” by Crissy Fields, made my energy shift and stop for reflection.
The exhibition by The Bridge Rail Foundation displayed shoes, used to belong to and representing the 1,558 lives lost in suicides from the Golden Gate Bridge during the past 75 years.
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Some people come into our lives and quickly go,
leaving footprints on our hearts,
and we are never, ever the same.
If you were to step into one of these pairs of shoes, as if you got a second chance, what would you do to fully live your life?
The memorial day is a day of remembrance of the men and women who have died in while serving in the U.S. military. How can you do that? I would suggest honoring them by doing what they can not do.
May 27, 2012 in San Francisco – the city is full with celebrations for the 75th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge.
In the presidio area, there are music stages, food trucks and happening all over the place. Walking along the water by Crissy Field, there is one particular area where the busyness suddenly stops. Rock Balancer Bill Dan from Sausalito and his apprentice(?), was performing their Rock Balancing Art.
Bill Dan showed me a picture from when he started 1994. He is the only one with the title of Rock Balancer. Travels the world. Exhibiting and doing work for corporations and events.
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What is the key to creating this? I asked. “Oh this? Connection.”
Want to build something special? Make a connection. And make it last.
It’s almost unreal. What would your answer have been to the question on Intel’s Facebook Page: Fake or Real?
It brings me to another question: Do you believe what you see, or do you see what you believe? What if the magical is actually real… in more situations than this. And you can make it happen.
I got the question yesterday from a visiting, fairly new, friend of mine: “Are you an excited person?” “Me? Yes… I am smiling – can’t you tell?”
What type of question is that? I should have asked: what is the perception of me? I will ask him. Later. What do you think?
Right now, the answer would be clearly: hell yeah! How could I not be?
Waking up 6am after 5 hours of sleep with this song in my head:
If I didn’t have a guest sleeping in the other room I would put it on speaker and sing it out loud. And if this video didn’t have the lyrics I would make up my own.
From now on I am not going to say “could I bounce an idea with you?”… Or “I’ve got an idea…” – because that is not how it feels like.
From now on I will say “Please, speak with me – I have a bomb – and it’s a darn good one”. That is, how it feels like.
Thank you Rakesh and those of you else (Thomas Fogdö, Rosh Khan, Gerome, Dorian, Will, Sturdy, Laura, Carlx2, Helene, Emma… The list start to grow) who thinks it’s a great idea. I’ve started taking “that’s a crazy idea” as a complement. It has got some power in it!
Feel the excitement – keep the momentum – and go do it! Maybe I can go and sing that song quietly in the shower?! It’s gotta come out… 🙂
Good start of a new day. Hope it rubbed off on ya’!
In 15 days I will celebrate my 5 year anniversary on YouTube. You know – it’s nothing I really have thought of celebrating – but there are a few reasons why.
When I created the YouTube account 5 years ago, the reason was to share a rehearsal recording from a wedding ceremony with a friend in Paris who was inquiring for singing at her wedding, and the file was too large to email, and I decided to try a new channel…
When uploading the video I had the option of making it public or private. I remember selecting the public setting, with a mixed feeling of excitement and fear. This was the first time I had performed in a trio – and that was a very big thing.
When viewing the videos on YouTube I hid behind the computer screen, almost underneath the table – the few people whom I showed it to can attest. And yes, my face turned red, blushing, too – that is part of my signature at times.
In a conversation on this topicwith video marketer expert Dan Safkow at Blog World in LA in Nov 2011, I realized that I have YouTube to thank for partly getting over my stage fright.
My first video uploaded today has 27,652 views. My channel has 63,309 views in total. 23 Subscribers. And I am not hiding below the table 😉
I joked about that I would start a YouTube channel or video series called Lady in Red. Lead the way and show others that they could do the same thing. Break through stage fright. Sohere it is. I say as my Norwegian room mate in San Diego – actually – the man who got married in the wedding we sang at: “Come with me and I’ll take you places”.
Please join me in the celebration by doing 3 things… 😉
Create your own YouTube Channel – and announce in the comments below what the link is so, that we can subscribe to yours.
Ask for Herringbone’s services for help, if you want to optimize yours. YouTube moved all accounts to their new profile set-up this past March 7. There are quite a few nifty things you can do.
This is the YouTube Debut Song, Ulf Lundell’s “Kärleken förde oss samman” (Love brought us together) featuring Helene Vik (now 3rd team – not yet announced – member at Herringbone) and Ylva Elias (Biotech Sales Professional and Singer, San Diego).
Life is wild sometimes. These golden moments that pop up when you least expect…
So I am celebrating New Years Eve with the friends of Foster Goldstrom, in this beautiful Maybeck designed house, filled with exquisite art and interesting individuals. The New Year is greeted and toasted at 9pm PST and the music starts to play. There is maybe 10 people dancing in one end of the living room – so I join them. This groovy, almost 30 year older [outrageous, you would NEVER believe], African-American woman, dressed in black with a cool hat is starting to mirror me with a smile saying “oh you are so tall, and slim and can dance in such a cool way [stiff]” – which is like pulling a Norwegian joke on me [pulling my leg big time] – so I let loose and start mirror her. Which makes her crack up and say “I need to leave for another party – but I need to give you my card – we should go out party in San Francisco!”
I am following up the next day with an email and she emails me back – and calls me back next day eager to work on her social media. We decide to meet for dinner. “Oh – I had already committed to this jazz event, but if you don’t mind I can give you a free ticket.” So we go.
Entering this gem in Oakland – art gallery combined jazz club – I get the question: “Do you sing?” There is no way out – name on the list. #34 – probably too late in the game, so I am not too worried. [This is a love – hate situation – but for several reasons, I could not say no to this one.] This is a really cool place. Musicians are really good, and the majority of the singers as well. My dear new friend introduces me to a number of people passing by – and I start to realize that by now all the organizing people and half the band knows me [as number 34]. What the heck would I sing? And can I the lyrics? What happens if I don’t? The singer next to me, Lady Sunrise, responds to the last question and says “Just sing from your heart baby”. [At my dance school growing up in Sweden, we were always told “if you forget the lyrics, sing the Norwegian National Anthem” – not much love in that one…]
If you knew where I came from, you would appreciate the stretch and excitement this situation had. At Christmas we had a table card game going with various questions. One was “Which is the #one fear that you want to overcome?” My response: “Singing in public.” Solo that is. Hiding – and LOVING – singing in choirs is no problem. But I have had a desire and intent for a long time. Was I prepared now? Not really. But in some ways it felt like it. At one point my friendValena and I was looking at each other smiling and saying in chorus: “This is not a coincidence”.
Second last at 11pm: “-Which song? – Summer time. – Do you know which key? – No”. This is how it went.
It wasn’t perfect – but it was fun, and I have come a long way. If I can, you can. What is your dream and intention?
What ever that is – just come from your heart baby.
Although I used to be pretty fluent in French from having lived, studied and worked in Annecy, France and Geneva, Switzerland for a year, it appears to be Greek for me (incomprehensible for Swedes) at times…
This figure is what Christmas this year reminded me of – with a more (at times hysterical) funny script.
Enjoy – and be careful with the fireworks this New Years!
My first Christmas in San Francisco. My first Christmas on “my own”.
I know Christmas or this Holiday Season brings mixed feelings to people. There are so many expectations. Expectations on happiness, good food, fulfilled traditions, togetherness, Christmas gifts… and not everyone has that.
To me, Christmas is a very dear holiday with many meaningful traditional elements. And historically attached with a fair amount of hospital visits as well. Some easier than others. My mom always tells me that the fact that I wasn’t aware of how severe the situation was when she was in hospital (probably 30 years ago), and that I came joyful to visit and also was very keen to get home on time to see the Christmas Calendar on tv, helped her in the process of healing.
This past Thursday I got the question from someone “I need to give her something. For Christmas she is going to her friend who is severely ill and maybe dying.” The book I chose to quote was Osho’s “Maturity”. It is a beautiful book that I warmly recommend you to read. I was recommended to read it many years ago and ended up reading it first on the way back to California after my fathers passing. Wishing that I had read it earlier, and grateful that my attitude to the situation with my father hadn’t been too far off.
“Life should be a continuous celebration, a festival of light the whole year round. Only then can you grow up, can you blossom. Transform small things into celebration. For example, in Japan they have the tea ceremony. […]
An ordinary thing – just tea – and they have made it a beautiful religious festival. Everybody comes out of it nourished, fresh, feeling younger, feeling juicier. And what can be done with tea can be done with everything […]
Even if you fall sick and you are lying in bed, you will make those moments of lying in bed moments of beauty and joy, moments of relaxation and rest, moments of meditation, moments of listening to music or to poetry. There is no need to be sad that you are sick. […]
When you are sick, call a doctor. But more important, call those who love you because there is no medicine more important than love. Call those who can create beauty, music, poetry around you, because there is nothing that heals like a mood of celebration. […]
Make everything creative, make the best out of the worst – that is what I call the art of living. And if a man has lived his whole life making every moment and every phase of it a beauty, a love, a joy, naturally his death is going to be the ultimate peak of his whole life’s endeavor. The last touches. … his death is not going to be ugly as it ordinarily happens everyday to everyone.
If death is ugly, that means your whole life has been a waste. Death should be a peaceful acceptance, a loving entry into the unknown, a joyful goodbye to old friends, to the old world. There should not be any tragedy in it.”
Now, this was not at all what I intended to write about – but it is something important, especially at times when things “should be” jolly, and they don’t appear like it.
I have gone with the flow and created my own little celebration of Christmas, had a really nice day, and ended Christmas Eve celebration together with friends. Now, stats from Sweden shows that the elements that are the most important at Christmas are:
1) Christmas Tree (89% of Swedes has one)
2) Christmas gifts
3) Christmas Ham
4) Donald Duck and his friends wishes Merry Christmas (3pm Swedish National Television) 5) Santa Claus
6) Lutfisk
7) Christmas Pourage
8) Christmas Mass
And yes, since I woke up yesterday morning I have been trying to get SVTPlay app to play Donald Duck and his Friends – but it “can’t at this moment”. I do have a recording of it somewhere… but luckily I found it on YouTube. And the first one that I landed on was from my very first Christmas 1975! This is now a 52 year old tradition for the Swedish people. Very important. Indeed. Here is a compact version:
In my past days I have successfully made cinnamon roles that were pretty – but small and hard as stone, so you could almost hurt someone with them, should you want to…
This year, would be my first year of five in San Francisco that I actually have a traditional Glögg Party. Along with that goes saffron bread. Now, scarred from the memory of the past I wanted to make sure that these were presented in the light they deserve.
Off I went to get the ingredients. One thing remained on the list. Fresh yeast. Trader Joe’s – no. Safeway – no. Whole Foods – no. [Shame the one who gives up!] Rainbow Groceries – YES! I don’t know how you guys (Americans) do it. Baking with dry yeast – ain’t working for me. Or maybe it was because I got the advise to heat the liquid (milk, butter…) a little extra for the yeast to have effect – and by the time I added the egg and turned my back away, it had coagulated… It became pancake of everything, as we say in Sweden.
This time… I got a lot of dough. Cha-ching!!
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Practice makes perfect.
Hubedubedo – signing off,
The Swedish Chef
Btw – I got the comment when I started this blog “Why should you write a blog? Who would read that?” At least I am having fun. I hope you get a smile out of it too. Maybe get inspired. I hope the one who said that initial comment do. He has a pretty amazing story to tell. I am sure you do too. Just saying… [#herringbone.fm 2.0]
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