Relax

ATM is a friend!

Paradise

21-12-2008 Chirombo Bay. The lake is calm, silence takes over the world and one is sure to find true peace here.

The Journey

Another Christmas spent with those most precious has come and gone and one feels the luckiest person to have such a close knit family ready to do anything to continue making this season the one to look forward too all year long.

17-12-2008 Lisbon-Paris Air France The plane was supposed to leave at 18h but delayed quite a bit which got the blood rushing cause the time for the connecting flight in Charles de Gaulle was short.

17-12-2008 Paris-Johannesburg Just made the flight in time... the marathon across the recently rebuilt Parisian airport was exhausting. When finally installed in the plane the captain announces a delay 'cause the wings needed to be de-iced. Take-off is finally announced 'round midnight.

18-12-2008 Late arrival at Tambo International Airport in JHB and another quick run to the Air Malawi counter to try catch the last plane out to Lilongwe. Made it! The plane leaves at midday.

18-12-2008 Arrival at Lilongwe International Airport (formerly or still known as Kamuzu International Airport) at around 3pm and the expected disappointment - the luggage was nowhere to be seen...either it stayed behind in Paris or JHB. No worries... all we want is to get to the final destination! Blantyre - the great city where I was born.

18-12-2008 - Arrival at the final destination - Chileka Airport (Blantyre). Everyone's there... sitting on the rooftop waving about trying to find out where we're seated. The plane door opens and there we go... first Baba, then I down the stairs looking out to the prettiest people in the world waiting for us :) I guess walking down the red carpet come Oscar night doesn't come anywhere close to this moment. After around 24hours of flying, running and carrying overwheigt trolleys we're finally there...and it's ALL worth it.

The secret for sticking together

It may well be... that Malawi holds the secret for reducing the divorce rate.

2 ladies and a gentleman

Returning home after a hard day of last minute Christmas Shopping

Downtown Blantyre

Taken from the back seat of the car while driving around Blantyre... some things remain unchanged

Air Malawi

Flying since September 1st 1967...

After two flights from Lisbon to Paris and from Paris to Jo'burg, exhaust had kicked in. The flights delayed in Lisbon and again in Paris because of weather conditions which made the whole journey just a little more exhausting. Arrival at OR Tambo International Airport (formerly officially known as Johannesburg International Airport and before that as Jan Smuts International Airport) was hectic. The airport has undergone massive changes (probably in preparation for the upcomming Football World Cup in 2010) wich made us run like madmen hoping to catch the last flight out to Malawi. It was a relief to see that the QM flight hadn't left yet and we made it just in time. Just from seeing the plane already felt a little closer to home.

Season Greetings (anticipated)

Not knowing if there'll be a chance to post in the near future I can't help but to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and all the best for the coming year. Christmas is best when spent among family, friends and warmth... be it emotional or physical.
The warm heart of Africa will surely be a warm welcome.

2008 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS NOMINATIONS

The Verdict is in, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced the nominations for the Golden Globe Awards (which usually give an insight to the next Oscar nominations). It's a pity most of the nominated films for Best motion Picture haven't yet arrived in this little corner of the world.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
FROST/NIXON
THE READER
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
DANNY BOYLE – SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
STEPHEN DALDRY – THE READER
DAVID FINCHER – THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
RON HOWARD – FROST/NIXON
SAM MENDES – REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
ANNE HATHAWAY – RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
ANGELINA JOLIE – CHANGELING
MERYL STREEP – DOUBT
KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS – I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG (IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE JE T’AIME)
KATE WINSLET – REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
LEONARDO DICAPRIO – REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
FRANK LANGELLA – FROST/NIXON
SEAN PENN – MILK
BRAD PITT – THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
MICKEY ROURKE – THE WRESTLER

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
BURN AFTER READING
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
IN BRUGES
MAMMA MIA!
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA

Why Kathleen...

When creating a profile some months ago little did I know how intriguing the name chosen would become. There isn't a specific reason just a bundle of thoughts that crossed my mind at the time.

Kathleen because it's a lovely name, because it's a beautiful song by Townes Van Zandt, because it's Tindersticks' best cover bound to goose bump even the coldest of mankind, because I have a one-of-a-kind Kathleen painting and some other odd reasons.

It's plain to see, the sun won't shine today
But I ain't in the mood for sunshine anyway
Maybe I'll go insane
I got to stop the pain
Or maybe I'll go down to see Kathleen.

A swallow comes and tells me of her dreams
She says she'd like to know just what they mean
I feel like I could die
As I watch her flying by
Ride the north wind down to see Kathleen.

Stars hang high above, the oceans roar
The moon is come to lead me to her door
There's crystal across the sand
And the waves, they take my hand.
Soon I'm gonna see my sweet Kathleen.

Soon I'm gonna see my sweet Kathleen.

Secrets & Smiles

God Knows (you Gotta Give To Get)

All the way from Gothenburg, Sweden, El Perro del Mar will most certainly be one of the highlights of the first of two night's in Lisbon's first winter festival. The weather is definitely appropriate (cause it doesn't get more miserable than this-rain-cold-wind-ice) for the theme and Cabaret Maxime, where the venue is to be held, is probably one of the cosiest places to watch such a concert.
The cherry on the top comes tomorrow when Sarah Assbring performs a guest appearance with Lykke Li (also from Sweden, but raised in Lisbon-Portugal for a couple of years) in Teatro Variedades (Parque Mayer) tomorrow in the early evening.

Overheard

"politics is a lot like sex - if you want something, you have to ask for it, if they’re not doing it right you’ve got to speak up and show them and if you still don’t get what you want, then there is nothing wrong with doing it yourself!"

got me in fits...

"a dolorous mixture of apparently inconsolable grief and string-laden, slow-burn melodies."

Interviews given by members of the Tindersticks are few and therefore to be savoured by those interested.

Lived in bars

two consecutive posts on the same topic isn't politicly correct... but so aren't sooo many things. This video is a true pearl