Photos by lilypenelope

Jazz music. On the wall. In the air. An original signed photograph. A concert ticket from the 50's. And my father proud to tell me "It was my first concert: Lionel Hampton was amazing".
Photo by lilypenelope

Music from the soul. Music from the hardrive. Flowing. Photo by lilypenelope

Some good music, a constructive conversation, interesting people and a good cold drink (maybe more than just one!) can really make an evening spectacular. It doesn't happen very often. But it did happen last night. I shot pictures to share with you. I'll describe my evening, I'll try to point out details and make you feel you were part of it too. Unfortunately though, the virtual world will omit very important details. Here you will not find smells, sounds, and no...you can't even touch the drinks on the tables! Yet maybe this particularity of this world is the best one! It's up to you to fill the gaps.
I was told, couple of days ago, that in my favorite spot of my town, the bar where we hang out, that a concert would take place, right under the castle walls.

A famous Dj from Milan would play all night accompanied by a violinist. I surely couldn't miss it! I love electronic music, very experimental, very addictive, and I love the idea of something so extreme combined with a classical instrument( with amazing modern power) such as the violin. All of this happening at the feet of one of the 3 castles that are located in my city! Such a splendid combination.

I was already imagining all of it even before going there, on my funky bycicle. My usual friends didn't like the proposal of the night so...I went alone! I could hear the music already from far. Imagine a classic, imagine rocks, try to hear an electronic background music and try to smell so amazing food around the city! That was the beginning!

I sat down with other friends (from the usual!) ordered a fresh swiss beer (the first one of a long night!) while waiting for the music to continue. The violinist was thirsty and sat down at our table. No music and a lot of prosecco for her! Finally she goes back on stage and start to perform incredible and amazing music!

Unbelievable! Suddently we all got taken into a complete new dimension (and believe me...it wasn't the alcohol..at least for us...the violinist was a different story!!!). No one was talking anymore, the music was already doing that for us!

The stores window seemed to be interested in this spectacle too.

Beer and food kept coming on our table. Fish, veggies, meatballs! All of us were sort of paralized listening to the amazing sounds that were echoing around.
Great.
The music kept going til 11pm. We remained alll seated thinking it would start again but it did not. Time for the last beer.

A great weekend! Eat, sleep, relax, read, drink, a beautiful view over the lake and a good, genuine company of close friends. I hope that the next will be as great as this one! Now...back at work. With a beautiful weather outside. But apparently the rain will come soon.

I wasn't the only one relaxing! Don't these 2 images express extreme peace and calm?

By the way, while driving back home yesterday I heard this song on the radio. A brand new single from a singer that apparently was eliminated from a tv show called X-Factor (sort of american Idol or whatever it's called in the US). Driving on the street along the lake, with no absolut sound other than that of a sweet breeze (and of the cars going back home after the long weekend...but that's just a detail!!!) was absolutely interesting. Even if I was returning home to re-start the usual routine!

Two more nights left of carnival! 4 have already passed very quickly! I have to say that this year (at least until today) I had really fun! Thursday night was ok. Many people around the city dancing and drinking while watching the official opening of the carnival 2009. It all starts with the mayor giving (symbolically) the key of the city to the King of Carnival - King Rabadan who will own the city (and its key) for an entire week. The mayor this year dressed up like Harry Potter (what a loser)! Anyway, we partied a lot. On friday my cousin David came from Geneva to celebrate carnival. More fun! Dancing all over the place, Proseccos, tequilas and gin tonics were the fuel of the night! Same happened on Saturday night. On sunday there was the parade. Very nice and thank god for the beautiful weather. Now I am a little tired. I need a coffee becuse tonight the party goes on until 4 am. It is going to be hard since tomorrow I work!!! And Tomorrow night...last night of carnival...all night long. Music wil stop at 7 am....
Here are some pics of the parade...more to come!

symbolic parody

metaphors...the Chanel commercial (Egoiste) used as a parody of political themes

Guilty Cupid...love between a love story between two ministers...

the caricature of the Environment Minister

It is almost here! We all waited for a year and now it finally came. Next thursday carnival will officially start. For 6 days and 6 nights the city will transform itself into a giant mess of colors, masks, musical groups and hopefully happy people! For us, carnival is the moment during the year where we can forget about everything and anything and just have fun. All dressed up (this year I will wear the same outfit as last..pirate! And one night only the crazy-geisha costume!!) we walk through the city dancing, drinking and having absolute fun. I love it. Still, after writing the previous post, I can still relate carnival with some of the terms I used, especially "behind". For some reason many people, during carnival, assume a complete different character, personality. Is it only because, behind a mask, they feel safer to be themselves? Who knows...I do not wear a mask only because it itches and it makes it really hard to drink!!!!!

Thinking about colors, music, fun, costumes/dresses, strange materials, weaving and structure (or non-structure!) here are some more images.

Interesting to see low-cost rental bikes at hundreds of stations throughout the city of Paris. Part of a program that aim to cut traffic, reduce pollution, improve parking and enhance the city's image as a greener, quieter, more relaxed place. Even with the very cold weather people use them all over the city. When I saw these stations full of them I couldn't stop smiling and I would start whistling Joe Dassin's song "La Complainte de l'heure de pointe (À vélo dans Paris) "!!!!!! Just listen to it, it's actually very funny!

....I have his cd in my car... most of my friends won't jump on it!!! But I love some of his songs very much!

When I think about ink all I can think about is the liquid inside my pen. Its odor, its color, its temperature when it gets on my fingers! I do not think about magnetism neither of music. That's what I found! Magnetic Ink combined with music and video. Superbe! Space and music!!!



Magnetic Ink, Process video from flight404 on Vimeo