currently, there’s not much “present” going on in my life.
a lot of “past” though, and even more “future”…

because i’m usually not willing to disclose anything in the future that isn’t 100% certain (probably in an attempt to compensate for all the people who talk and talk and never do what they say), here’s a little summary of my “current past”:

i’ve been confronted (in a good way) with the pictures of our graduation trip to kos/greece (summer 2003), recently. somehow i still can’t believe how much fun we had together.

because i have stored the pictures of kos in the same folder as the pictures of our last official school day, i was compelled to watch these, too. shortly after, i found myself searching for the pictures of our school-trip to venice in october 2002 (one of them is posted already).

i’ve picked three images from those past three events to show here. i know it’s not much, but i like them.
[view photos]
 

and then, when i was sorting out a LOT of cd’s that were lying around, i stumbled across the one that niki and i recorded back in borg (equals high school). niki is great at jamming, so we did lots of variations of what we were actually supposed to play during borg piano lessons. i don’t know how it came, but one day we recorded some of the songs on our teacher’s dat-recorder – it even was a day off school!

there you go:

[listen to sample]
niki dolp & markus nolf – fips in the park – zip [mp3], 2,1MB

this timeframe’s lyrics quote is kind-of hard to write down, since it’s an instrumental irish song :???:
and although there are background singers, doing long AH’s, i’ll leave the lyrics part empty:

[lyrics quote of the moment]

the corrs – erin shore

i’m talking about the “forgiven, not forgotten”-special edition they did. in this version, they have a very special centerpiece. when the flutes and harp are introduced in the main-voice intermission, i feel like i’m in wonderland.
maybe this is because i’ve played a little too much “heroes of might and magic”, but it really sounds magical!
the percussion (reminding me of stomp a lot) that follows has a very exciting/motivating impact on me.
and besides, it’s a traditional irish tune – and i love almost every one of them!

it’s interesting how perspectives can change over time.

for a long time i was feeling awkward for our (=the tyrolean) traditions. they just seemed ridiculous, and really uncivilized. by the time, especially when i got to make more and more international contacts, somehow my cultural proudness (folklore-wise) grew – up to the current point.

i realized that – although some of them are total bull****, senseless and not worth even thinking about for a second – some others are really nice ancient customs that should absolutely be kept alive!
i’ve gotten very proud of (many of) tyrol’s traditions and or our folklore music (if practiced correctly) in the past few years, because they’re something our great-grandparents already adhered enthusedly. and because they’re unique to our region and landscape.

please keep in mind here, that i’m still fighting strongly for “ ‘it’s always been that way’ is NOT an argument FOR ANYTHING!”
it’s more like i’m re-discovering the sense and thought behind some of them.

i always loved irish folklore (check out altan and gaelic storm), and traditional african choir music (go look for lebo m [you've got to listen to "the lion sleeps tonight"!] and miriam makeba) – but now i really appreciate the huge variety of tyrolean folk-music…

in other news, i’ve started to create my own “insider-traditions” or “family-traditions”.

for example, i decided to show up at my brother and his girlfriend’s birthday parties ALWAYS in a tux, no matter the theme, company or climate. (the first time, i was asked “so, where are you going afterwards?” in a very serious way :smile:)

one long-time tradition that i’m likely to break this year is “not celebrating my birthday”. i generally don’t feel very social in winter, so these last years i either just didn’t celebrate or had a good excuse (exams, …) to not celebrate. i don’t think i missed out on something.
but 2005 is different. my concept of life, friends, … has changed. because if you look closely, it’s just a good occasion to meet up with people you like.
i don’t feel like i have to compensate for those people who just look for an opportunity to get really drunk anymore. not sure i felt so at all, previously.

so that’s two completely different posts in “music and contemplative”. not bad!

i know i write about vienna teng a lot, but here’s another post about her…

i recently stumbled across a recording of the most romantic song i’ve ever heard. i’m not a very romantically minded person – as far as i can tell – but that song nearly gives me goose bumps and a slight shiver! i’m pretty addicted to that song, listening to it whenever i can, in a 1-song-loop.

[lyrics quote of the moment]
you had asked if i love you
and i never could say
and you want me to answer
in any old way

i’m trying to tell you
simple words could not show
and will never be spoken
still i want you to know

so i ask you to meet me tonight
by the gardens we walk, in the twilight
the roses abound by your side
i will hold you and let you decide
vienna teng – abound (link)

as far as i can remember, a singer/songwriter named alexander sahar wrote the song for vienna, but later she rewrote some of it.

i don’t know how long it will be up there, but you can get the recording here. the link you’re looking for is named “vt2004-12-xxt12.shn”.
the file format is .shn – you’ll need to get the winamp plugin or convert the file to play it.

thank you, michele, for recording and sharing!

maybe it’s not too late…

i just was informed that vienna teng is playing at the bitter end in new york – right now!

if you hurry, you can still make it to see the live webcast of her show.

[lyrics quote of the moment]
you’ve got a journey to make
there’s your horizon to chase
so go far beyond where we stand
no matter the distance
I’m holding your hand
vienna teng – harbor (link)

[lyrics quote of the moment]
i’ve lived a long life, and now i’m looking back,
it’s the end of the road, the last stop on the track,
and i smile as i think of my true love once more,
the light of my life, the one i adore
gaelic storm – she was the prize (link)

the complete lyrics:
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