Jean & Tom

I adore this photo! My friend Tom Koerner dancing with a swing dancing legend, Jean Veloz in Washington DC. This photo represents everything I love about this dance. Look at the joy in peoples' faces, including the two people dancing. It looks so much fun, doesn't it!? It's also great that the young look up to the dancers from way back when it all started, and learn from those people, and dance with them. There's an enormous gap between generations, at least in this country. We have so much to learn from others there. For some reason, people here tend to only hang out with people their own age. I always loved spending time with people both older and younger than myself. I think we have alot to learn from each other. Photo above was taken by unknown photographer at Toan Thai's Swing Place.

Jean Veloz is a legend and is still active in the world of swing dancing. This is a clip from her famous film, Groovie Movie (1943). Tom & Debra frequently organise the "Groovie Movie Weekend" in DC.

Impossible leads

I went to tango class and I got so frustrated. I know I have this kind of bad frame action still probably, but it's improving due to loads of dancing. I get really frustrated when I'm trying to guess what the leads are. I think it's not really my fault (only) because when I did it with the teacher I could feel it properly.

I got the DVD for American Beauty today and plan on watching it in a bit. Oh what a masterpiece it is. May watch Pan's Labyrinth as well. Gosh, I don't really watch any movies nowadays, but I guess I need a break from moving around.

Hot us and hot swing!!

I and Sara went for a drink in Lund before I was off to dance my ass off in Mejeriet for Nosey Joe's gig. Sara really is a great friend. She is a great listener and she really cares about other people. In Mejeriet, I danced and danced and danced. I especially enjoyed dancing with a guy called Krister today at one point when I actually just lost myself in it and lost track of time and space. A very cool feeling indeed.

I must share this clip with you of Louis Armstrong and Danny Kaye which was sent to me by my dancing friend Finn. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Bring it on baby!

Today has been a bit of a backlash for me, but thanks to a very dear old friend who always has alot of wise things to say, I now feel fine again.

Thursday's dancing was really good, and alot of the guys told me I have improved quickly. Feels kind of good hearing it, because I was not exactly picked first in gym class as a kid.

Now, however....

BRING IT ON!

Stuff

Procrastination strikes yet again in my household. I keep putting things off, although I'm getting better at taking care of stuff as it comes. I just want to dance. When I dance, I don't have to think, or worry, or be bored. Sure, it's probably a means of escape in a way, albeit a positive one. I meet new people, I smile and laugh, I get loads of exercise and I get to use my brain cells in a creative way. Why should I sit at home and wait for life to come to me? I want to go out there and find it, and live it, the way it was intended. I missed so much of this in my relationship, and here it is, straight in front of me. I just must go for it and have a really good time.

Off I go.

I never thought

A year ago, when I was still living in the house, I never would have thought that I would be where I am today. Never, ever would I have thought I'd be here, in my apartment, practising to stand on my hands. What a weird, but wonderful world it is.

I bought tickets to go to DC to meet up with my friends. How exciting!

In the meantime, I have some standing on hands to do. Ciao!

Listen up folks

Kevin Spacey is one remarkable man. If you are bored, take some time of your day to listen to this interview. The things he says, the way he says them and the immense passion with which it comes across is astounding. There is so much weight behind the words, and he really makes you want to stay on for more. I loved every single word of this. If he was my teacher in school, I would have been a straight A student without a doubt.

Sweden - cold??

It's been so cold here for a week now. Snow, ice, sleet, rain, wind.. below 0 degrees Celcius way too many times. I want it to be nice and warm, and I can't wait for summer. In the meantime, I booked tickets to see the folks in DC in October. It will be so nice. Loads of things to look forward to now.

Last night at the dance was great because there was a vast majority of leaders which is not that common, which of course meant I could dance all the time, which I quite happily did. I got asked to dance at the same time by two guys and had to turn one down. After awhile I promised someone a dance, and while he was changing his shoes, I had to turn one of the teachers down... oh it's such a hard life being popular on the floor. (May never happen again, so it was very exciting for me :) )

The Swing-Fix

I have been without dancing now for more than a week. It feels strange, and I miss it more than I can say. Luckily, there is a dance tonight in Lund. Can't wait. I have some cool plans for the dancing - first to go to Stockamöllan Swing festival for 3 days in June, then I'm off to Herräng for 3 weeks in July. Am currently considering a longer trip to see a few new friends of mine in Oct - Nov, but nothing is definite yet. I hope it will work out though.

The tango hideaway

The above image was taken with my cell phone after my first time at a tango place - a milonga. This particular place is cool because it's called "Loftet" - situated right on Lilla Torg, a small plaza in Malmö filled with nightclubs (and noisy music). In the middle of this boiling, simmering area of town, where most people here go out for a drink in a very continental fashion, we find the big crowds, noisy music, and nightclubs. If you stand in the middle and turn slightly, facing the opposite end of the plaza, you see the cutest little houses, so typical of Skåne architechture.

I went out to try out tango "for real" on Sunday, and, as I was leaving, loud music screamed at my back, but when I looked up at the little window, I heard beautiful bandoneon music from Argentina and I heard the steps of tango.

Oh my god, how cool.

The Illinois cornflake

I just read the most bizarre thing in the paper. Someone on E-bay has paid $1350 for a cornflake, shaped like the state of Illinois. Apparently, the two sisters who sold it first got the advert rejected due to e-bay regulations against selling food. They solved this problem by selling a coupon. Would you pay this sum of money for a cornflake? If I had that money I'd much rather GO to Illinois!

Severe blizzard and delays

Today I was supposed to go home. Apparently, there will be quite a severe blizzard in Skåne and this prevents me from going today. I will have to go tomorrow instead. No harm done though. I'll just sit some more in front of the fireplace.

Abstinence and Eggnog

Today we celebrated Easter with the Bohms. Indeed lovely people. Torsten had painted a scarf for me. He had a stroke a few years ago, and I am always so happy to see how smart and quick he is. He is the first one to get a quick joke or to make one himself. He is oh so clever. It must be frustrating not to be able to move around anymore.

We had good food and drink and some eggnog, and lots of laughs, as always.

However, my legs and feet are itching for some dancing now and I can't wait to get back home to Malmö for more of it.

Is every sperm sacred?

Recent conversation with a friend inspired me to put this on here:



Those of you who are familiar with the subject, please enlighten me: What's the point of bringing an unlimited number of kids into this world when according to recent statistics, over 50 percent of marriages end in divorce? I can totally see why people have many children though. Some people are probably perfectly responsible, good care-takers. Personally, if I was a homeless poor for example or mentally ill, unable to even take care of myself, I would choose to have an abortion. If I was irresponsible and had a bit of fun with a guy and it went too far, then probably I would take responsibility for my actions, because I think I'm capable of doing a decent job.

Winter on the east coast

Woke up early today. Sleeping 10 hours does that to you, I suppose. The view as the sun was rising was magnificent. It's been snowing last night, and it's a weird feeling because I'm used to Malmö weather, and it's much warmer there right now. I hope spring and summer will come soon. Mmmm. Out now to go elk hunting. Just kidding.

Relationships, marriages, whatever.

Boy am I relieved not to lead this sort of life. The kind which Kevin Spacey eminently portrays in American Beauty, my favourite film of all time. Hitting the nail right on the head, without missing a beat, it shows how a married couple has drifted apart, living in frustration and boredom. Even I who have not even been married, saw parts of my own life in the movie after my relationship. The truth of the matter is, I think almost everyone recognise themselves somehow in there, and that, I think, is why this fantastic film became so hugely successful.

The question I ask myself here is: How do you avoid this type of scenario as an outcome? Surely, something can be done to prevent the seemingly inevitable from happening? I need to find that answer. Or maybe we just keep choosing the wrong partners?

Gettin' hot in here...

Not only is the fireplace nice and warm, but practising dancing makes any girl feel really irresistable. :) I recommend this to all women, because not only is the music great, but it makes you feel fantastic in every way possible. Ohhhh yeaahhhh.

Leaving, but not on a jetplane.

The first time away from this place in a long time. I'm looking forward to sitting down by the sea, watching the waves, listening to the wind. Winding down and taking it easy. I have, however, packed some essentials (see above).

Reaching your goals

Photo: Rhys Jones

Many new goals in life: Learn to dance, travel, meet new people, lean Spanish, etc. I get frustrated if I don't learn something new everyday, which is why I rarely watch TV series that provide useless information. Maybe I should write a new song.

Easter Break

Saturday, and again, the sun is shining. I love the feeling of the sunrays on my skin. It's nice, warm and relaxing. Embracing in a soothing sort of way. My balcony is bliss.
I'm off work for a week now, and will travel up to see my parents in the archipelago. I love going there. It's in the middle of nowhere. You can get there by car, but there is mostly water all around, and the view and surroundings are breathtaking.

Swing Kids

Oh shit, I started dancing too late in life :)

Herräng

Just got a confirmation that I can work as a volunteer at Herräng Dance Camp this summer, which means I will be going there for the 3 first weeks of the camp. You sleep in bunk beds from IKEA and dance around the clock. I pay for the first week's course (Lindy Hop Intermediate), then work week 2 and dance week 3 (Lindy Hop Intermediate). Balboa beginner course was not on the schedule for week 3, so this will have to do. Don't know yet what my job will be though.

After Herräng it would be nice to wind down in Åkerholm or something. I think I will do that. I probably will suffer from withdrawal symptoms.

Weekend and exhaustion

Rarely have I been so excited about the fact that it's the weekend. I plan to take it as easy as possible and catch up on some sleep. Dancing yesterday was absolutely amazing and I was very brave, asking alot of people to dance. Today, however, I will do anything but.

New gear and ready to go

Today I received a new t-shirt in the mail from Tom - with the print "It don't mean a thing if it ain't Gottaswing". I really like it and wore it to the dance along with my tango shoes. Maybe it was this fact that made me braver than usual: I asked loads of guys to dance, expervienced ones: Finn, someone whose name I don't know, Ted and Henrik. A few guys asked me - two of them are called Anders, funnily enough.

Fuck.. my legs and feet are aching like mad. I wish I could sleep for ten hours tonight. My body could use it.

HECTIC WEEK

I tend to put things off till the last minute. Things have vastly gotten worse this week due to an increasing amount of work that needs doing at school. I also agreed to show up as a spare for tango class tomorrow night, before the Milonga. Every night is filled with laughter, joy and frenzy activity. I need to wind down somehow, but I am not quite sure how. I love my new hobby and the kick I get out of learning something has always been a huge rush for me. Hence, I follow my heart and go dancing, although I should just stay home sometimes and relax. Relaxing is not really my cup of tea, however. I like it, if I relax for the sake of relaxing. I just don't want to feel like I'm sitting around waiting for the next great thing to do. You know?
Off to see some parents now. Tomorrow is tango, thursday swing dancing, and the weekend will be spent taking it easy with movies and some walks in the sun. Hopefully, if there is rain, I can practise my Gene Kelly routine. (oh no, here I go again).

xxx

Housewarming movie

At my housewarming party a few months back. Enjoy this spontaneous performance of "Pay me my money Down". None of us had played it before. Good thing Eddie knew the lyrics. It reminds me: What a lucky girl I am, and what a rich life I do lead.

it was a fun night!

I do like Mondays!

Off to Lund for dance practice. It is very intimidating there, and I hate the place. I do like the dancing, but standing around is horrendous. Hope it will be better today.

I keep putting things off around here, and have decided today's goal will be to a) do the dishes and b)get rid of garbage bag.

Not much progress, but it helps. :) I've been much worse at this stuff since my breakup. I keep myself very busy in other areas, so I guess that's a good thing in a way.

Lina

Tango with some passion.

Close your eyes. You are standing on a wooden floor. You feel it through the soles of your shoes. Stand upright and slightly on your toes. Lean forward slightly and slowly. Make sure you close your eyes. The music starts. Tango. Tense your shoulderblades. Raise your right hand and feel the tension in your arm. Now, place your left hand on the manly shoulder in front of you. Your right palm firmly against his. True connection. You feel his every impulse to move. Do nothing before you feel it. Lean forward slightly. Again close your eyes. He sways you from side to side to shift your weight, to improve connection and to find your balance together. When you have the weight on your right foot, he firmly moves you backwards, with the music.
You make the cross with your legs. He stops to let you move closer as you draw the ocho-sign - a beautiful, sensual figure of eight - with your body around him. Nothing is in time with the music, but in time with his impulses to move you with his leads. He leads you firmly through the old music of Argentina with a sense of soul and passion that only a native could feel in his body. It's a cultural heritage. He will put his foot next to yours to stop you moving. When there is an impulse, you can do nothing but to follow, obey the move. As you look up at him, your faces are closer together than before, and the movements and the music intensifies. Focus. Concentrate, and feel it. Together you create something where time and space does not exist.

I experienced this today with a pro dancer in tango class. He was from Chile and I can honestly say time stood still. I felt, for the first time, like I was really dancing. Oh wow. Oh wow. No undertones, someone said... Hmmm. Not so sure.

Swing It!

Going dancing tonight again. I can't wait, as usual. I find it very freeing, somehow. It's like I've always had it in me, but now I can finally use it somehow. I'm not a super talent, I'm sure, but I'm eager to learn, and I totally love it. 50 or so dancers from Göteborg will show up tonight too. There are also rumours of a secret Blues Lounge...

Mindfulness

You know how time flies? How you feel sometimes that a year or ten have passed and you barely remember any of it? I have tried to pay close attention so something someone adviced me awhile back:

Stop for awhile and consider the following:
*Is the water in your shower hot or cold? What does the soap feel like on your skin?
*What does your sandwich in the morning taste like? Have you thought of the texture of your food before?
*Can you recall details of the entrance of your home? If not, go there and have a look. What colours can you see, what does it smell like?

Try this for a day (it's quite hard work in a way)and I can assure you that you will remember that day for a very long time. I tried it twice in a year, and both those days are solid as rocks in my memory. We need to stop, look and listen - well put in Elvis's "Rubberneckin'".

Hugo=Happy

Here's another happy camper! The cats have been ecstatic today in the sun! Thank God for this marvellous balcony! At least I don't have to do gardening for hours on end. Phew. I can just sit on my ass, which is what I always did best anyway.

A true Hallelujah Moment!

Life is smiling at me today. I feel great and I feel totally alive. The sun is shining. I slept like a baby last night. Finally, things have fallen into place, and I can relax. I'm in love with life right now - dancing gives me the energy I've sought for for years. It's become a passion. My friends are lovely. I feel appreciated and attractive. I felt a burden lifting from my back a few days ago. I am also very excited by the fact that I've gotten to know Tom, he's fantastic and the communication adds alot to my life. So if you see this, thanks so much - you're a star.

Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you

So everything has been turned upside down the last few days. I feel relieved and really excited about it funnily enough. A guy I used to have a crush on, now has a girlfriend. There's been this on/off tension between us for a long time. He felt as if I wanted him, I wanted to be friends, but it became hard to meet there in the middle. Now, all I can feel is relief. Finally we can relax together and be music buddies. I am very happy for him too because he deserves to meet someone now.

I feel free like a bird. I don't have to worry about it, nor does he, and we can just be what we were always meant to be - just friends.

*Sigh of relief*

News from Tom & Debra

I got an email from Tom this morning saying they will now publish little demos online of what they did in class. Lovely!! I am a very happy camper, plus it's dance night tonight for five hours.

Tango on a Sunday

Today I had the advantage of dancing with the instructors again. I learned alot. At one point we used balloons between leader and follower to maintain a steady pressure between the two. Excellent idea, and rather fun. Imagine dancing with Ruben (see photo), I was in heaven, as always, when you dance with an experienced leader.

I applied for a job as a volunteer in Herräng today. Will see if I get it or not. Would be cool though. Hope to do some sound engineer stuff. You get a week's course for free if you work there, so that, for me would mean 3 consecutive weeks there this summer.

To get turned down for a dance..

As you can see, even the pros get turned down sometimes. So I won't despair, should it happen again :) I wasn't aware that Fred was such a brilliant piano player. I'm stunned and amazed by his talents. Hats off!

Hello Aris Allen!

Got my new Aris Allen shoes on Friday from the US, and invited a friend of mine to dance like mad on Friday night in the living room, so they'd get battered from day 1. Was fun! Oh the leather soles makes you slide on the floor!! Now, the string which attatches the sole to the shoe has come loose slightly, so I will have to take it to the shoemakers' first thing next week. :(

I'm beginning to see the light.

Trying new things makes you stronger, they say. Now I know.

I keep putting things off, and it bothers me. Today, I will sort my life out - papers, bills and other important things. I find this very difficult right now, so fingers crossed, ok?

Hmmm

... is all I have to say today.