Dreams and Realities

Behold the Poet Laureate of Pessimism,...

2009-08-20T10:10:41Z

... bow to the Godfather of Gloom. Oh, so unhappy, oh so melancholy, never good for a laugh...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fauxmantic/3179915983/

Leonard Cohen at the Foire Aux Vins Festival at Colmar

2009-08-17T10:18:04Z

Another quick review of a Cohen concert, so I will not forget the differing details ;)

Again it must be said: The concert at Colmar, France, was a great experience and another wonderful and inspired performance by Mr. Cohen. Yet, the fact that the night before he had given a concert in Spain, seemed to have taken its toll. At times Leonard looked rather tired, although he still amused himself greatly, dancing, kneeling, skipping and laughing as usual. But he did not really address the audience with his well-known speeches at all. No introduction to any of the songs, not even his joking about the synthesizer before Tower of Song (only his muttered “you are very kind”), not even his blessings in the end. Instead, we got a “thank you friends” a few times, a compliment on our singing Hallelujah (“you sing so sweet”) and instead of the blessings during "Whither Thou Goest" he thanked us for a great evening and declared his love to us in French. It seemed he did not want to prolong the concert with his speeches any more than necessary (due to a lack of sleep?).

Still, it was a great evening indeed. The soundcheck was quite late – at around six p.m., so we could hear it from outside the venue while queuing, which was somewhat surreal. Someone from the local press interviewed us and took photos. Probably we are now to be seen in a tiny little newspaper which we cannot read because of our rudimentary French. ;)
(UPDATE: I posted the article in a private entry.)

My friend and I (after galloping past many others) managed to get a standing place first row centre – right in front of Leonard’s microphone, so that we could follow every expression. And, oh, Leonard sang so sweet too ;)

Obviously he had underestimated the heat of the venue, as he sang the first set in his suit. Young people had collapsed outside in the queue – that is how hot it was, more than 30 degrees Celsius. I have never seen Leonard sweat like that before (*cough*), but fortunately he changed into his waistcoat for the second part of the concert.

It was a great audience there by the way. Lots of clapping and singing in the appropriate places.

Much fun was caused by some presents catapulted onto the stage: My friend was planning to throw a toy stethoscope during “I’m Your Man” but funnily somebody else had had a similar idea. So, what happened was that, as Leonard was singing “if you want a boxer,” somebody threw boxing gloves, which Leonard picked up from the stage amused. He hung them over his shoulder and posed with them quite proudly. Then, only two lines later “and if you want a doctor” my friend threw her stethoscope and more laughter from the audience was heard when they saw what that was. It had brushed against Leonard’s leg and he picked it up, the boxing gloves still over his shoulder, and put it towards his ears, playing around with it, smiling. Then someone used the hilarity of the situation to throw a toy monkey, which Leonard caught without effort, though he was already hung with the gloves and stethoscope like a Christmas tree. Of course, he put everything down a little later but he was still laughing. I guess that was something out of the norm for him too. I hope there will be a video or some photos of it. I would of course like to post something like that later.

So, you see, a great concert in spite of Leonard’s not being in a chatty mood but rather communicating with gestures and looks. I am grateful for this third concert I was able to watch and of course, I am aware that this was the last for me during this World Tour. And of course I do consider myself blessed without an official blessing speech ;)

Looking forward to your album, Leonard. Thank you for travelling to all of us, going through those “geographical inconveniences” too, without complaint and even enjoying it. May you receive more love and happiness during this “never ending” tour and beyond and may the Lord protect you on your path. Always. :)

P.S.: More about the concert can be found at 1heckofaguy.com as usual :)

P.P.S.: Leonard sang "Lover, Lover, Lover" and it was awesome!

My rusty French didn't buy me a washing machine after all...

2009-06-21T11:36:27Z

Happy Easter and Pessach to everyone!

2009-04-13T08:36:12Z

May you all enjoy the celebrations of new life and liberation!

Speaking of enjoyment: don't miss the yet unreleased Cohen song on youtube "Lullaby," which was recorded in great quality at the concert in Texas :) Thank you musicloveraustria2!

Yay! :)

2009-03-19T18:16:03Z

And besides, some great excerpts from the lost Bird on a Wire documentary have been uploaded at youtube by messalina79. Leonard at his best (or worst if you will). Some moving insights, anyway.

Well, that's surprisingly true...

2009-03-14T12:21:12Z

You Are An INFJ

The Protector

You live your life with integrity, originality, vision, and creativity.
Independent and stubborn, you rarely stray from your vision - no matter what it is.
You are an excellent listener with almost infinite patience.
You have complex feelings, and you take great care to express them.

In love, you see relationships as an opportunity to connect and grow.
You enjoy relationships when they are improving and changing. You can't stand stagnation.

At work, you stay motivated and happy... as long as you are working toward a dream you support.
You would make a great photographer, alternative medicine guru, or teacher.

How you see yourself: Hardworking, ethical, and helpful

When other people don't get you, they see you as: Manipulative, weak, and unstable

What's Your Personality Type?

In contrast to me_pirateship 's result, mine seems to have got me - although I wouldn't see myself as too hardworking ;) Sorry guys that I can be so manipulative and unpredictable at times. I'm working on it.

Secret Identity Revealed

2009-03-01T15:45:26Z

Stolen from catsplay ...

So you finally know who hides behind the pseudonym of Puddingdale:

Happy birthday ispellit!!!

2009-03-01T10:59:12Z

Scary???

2009-01-17T22:14:48Z

Hahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! (can you guess the parents?)

I think that impossible child turned out rather cute ;) (compared to what happened when I tried other parents...)

Have a fun weekend!

(posting inspired by 1heckofaguy.com)

Highly recommended Cohen links ...

2009-01-06T11:17:12Z

... for those hungry for the unusual but not yet lucky enough in finding it.

Most of you will know the humourous and informative site 1heckofaguy.com. (Thanks, thanks!!!) Here interesting tidbits are posted frequently. Quite enlightening.
This site again leads you to leonardcohensearch.com/ , an engine that seems to be able to find anything you desire *lol* At least I found an excellent link there www.twoshakesofalambstail.com/storeroom/index.html
That may not look very appealing but look twice: you can quickly download Leonard Cohen songs that are not available anywhere else, that are extremely rare and hard to come by because most of them were only performed at live concerts and thus are practically non-existent. Of course, most are low quality but still worth the fuss: You get very funny/confusing interaction with the audience, Cohen singing not only English but German and Yiddish too and also improvising silly lyrics at random and obviously having a blast. Continous incoherent giggling by the audience and the background singers (!) included. Go ahead and join in the fun!
It sure helped me get over the fact that me_pirateship</lj> had returned home and left me and the cat of cats behind in our secret life ;) Thanks again for a fun visit, friend :x

And thank you to all the Cohen fans out there who are ready to share their treasures so generously.

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-24T11:21:33Z

My gentle and ever sinful flock! In spite of your refusal to send me any money for those in need *cough*, I will nonetheless wish you a very peaceful and happy christmas. May the New Year be filled with love, friendship and laughter. And may your jobs not be too stressful but rather satisfying - as is mine as your parish banker ... erm... priest.

Strongly recommended as uplifting holiday read:

Enjoy yourselves, everyone! And be kind to each other!

Results of the Poetry Challenge

2008-11-08T15:02:08Z

Remember? I gave you the first stanza of a poem and asked you to find a title and compose a second stanza.
Well, all right, I was not very lucky in finding participants here ;) but I will still keep my word and post the original poem along with the results. They are surely worth it! Thanks, elle_icit</lj> !!! Your throne still has not been broken *g*

Original version by Leonard Cohen:

Poem

I heard of a man
who says words so beautifully
that if he only speaks their name
women give themselves to him.

If I am dumb beside your body
while silence blossoms like tumors on our lips
it is because I hear a man climb stairs
and clear his throat outside the door.

elle_icit</lj> 's version:

Promised Land

I heard of a man
who says words so beautifully
that if he only speaks their name
women give themselves to him.

He thought he might own them
with his whispers and his smiles
till sinking deep inside he lost himself
and in their embrace he cried.

My version:

Afflictions

I heard of a man
who says words so beautifully
that if he only speaks their name
women give themselves to him.

May they swoon and sigh
his every heartbeat is tied to hers
who understood his longing a lifetime ago
who truly listens though she is deaf.

me_pirateship 's "version" ;)

Any rhyme
I write
turns out
a crime
try
as I might.
*pout*

You guys can still participate, you know :) I will add your poems in no time for sure. Pleeeeeeeease! :) This is so very interesting...

UPDATE: Thanks for your version me_pirateship !!

Vids taken yesterday in Frankfurt :)

2008-10-30T22:05:18Z

Here are videos of the autograph giving (First We Take Manhattan) and the "Volkswagen" joke (Whither thou goest):

Two dimensional proof *lol*

Back with my teacher :)

2008-10-30T14:10:33Z

Right, so yesterday was my second LC concert and although there cannot much else be said after Lörrach, I still want to write a short review in order to remember.
The concert was just as brilliant as last time. Lenny's voice hasn't suffered from the many concerts in between at all - it was amazing!!! He even seemed younger than in Lörrach, jumping and skipping even more and seeming more at ease with what he did. Maybe the World Tour is indeed doing him good with all the love he must receive.
Yet, during the first part of the concert, LC seemed less chatty than in Lörrach - but then, so was the audience. This time he did not introduce the band members after each solo performance - maybe he has taken the criticism to heart by now. He was smiling but did not seem as happy as in Lörrach. (Of course, that performance will always remain extra special - also because of the famous sound check for sure.)
Anyway, after the break, Lenny seemed to have decided to have fun again. He joked and interacted with the audience more. Everything back to: "Laughing Lenny and his admirers." Well, even critics write that Lenny and the audience were reserved in the beginning.
The Webb sisters did their acrobatics this time (which they hadn't done in Lörrach) and which was received by applause. We didn't get the meaning of life from the Master this time though (dadoodumdum) - instead he expressed his admiration for the singing ladies. Well, good he changes his words from time to time. However, we got he Prozac speech *lol* And in the end he didn't only warn us not to catch a cold but also to be "as lucky as Volkswagen" ;) *cough*
No roses for Len here but some mistery envelope and he gave an autograph during a musical interlude - a friendliness which forced him to crawl along the edge of the stage. You had to love him for it. Henning at leonardcohenfiles.com got a better view and reports it like this: "Leonard got a big extra applause when a blind man with his stick moved towards the tight standing crowd at the end and handed Leonard a CD Cover to sign. First we take Manhatten had already started, Leonard took the sleeve from the man, layed it down to his feet, sang the first lines of the song and when the ladies sang their part, he kneeled down, signed the cover and handed it back to the man, who was waiting patiently." Couldn't see the man butI think it was rather a ticket than a sleeve - not that this would be of any importance *lol*.
Anyway, even though the audience was relatively silent (even during "So Long Marianne" it seemed to me), they still showed their affection, sighing and applauding in the right places ;) Some ladies behind us even discussed the beauty of his hair *rofl*
All in all, it was grand again and my spriritual batteries have been recharged. *dorky smile*

Leonard Cohen in Frankfurt (source: Frankfurter Neue Presse)

P.S.: LC didn't sing "Chelsea Hotel No. 2" or "Avalanche" that night.

Barenaked Ladies - Children's Songs

2008-10-28T15:58:23Z

Here's a good one from the latest BL album. They decided to make one with children's songs - kind of unusual most of them of course.
Hope you enjoy this cute one as much as I do :)

By the way, tomorrow I will attend my second Leonard Cohen concert. You can imagine I am looking forward to that.

Ah, and I am still hopeful that some more participants for the poetry challenge will turn up (see previous entry). This is why I haven't posted the results yet. Come on, everybody, get kissed by your muses! ;)

Poetry Challenge

2008-10-19T16:12:46Z

You guys are so very creative. Fact.
I would love to experience more of that instead of flooding you with my half-hearted compositions.
Therefore, I come up with this challenge *drumroll*
I will present you with the first stanza of a poem that some of you will probably know - but don't cheat! It is absolutely illegal to even glance at the original! ;)
I challenge you to find a good title for the poem, whose topic will surely inspire you *cough*, and to write a second stanza. Of course you can write a third, a fourth or even more if you feel like it, but that is up to you and your muse ;) Surely you will come up with something that is at least as good as the original, which will be presented to you another day.

I heard of a man
who says words so beautifully
that if he only speaks their name
women give themselves to him.

Now I can only hope that SOMEONE will take the challenge. The more the merrier. Pleeeeeeeeeease ;)

May my amused smile and admiration be your reward.

Modern Roman Catholicism (a contradiction in terms?)

2008-10-09T10:51:59Z

My last post made it clear to me that there are quite some misconceptions about my faith and what it means for my way of life or opinions. I know that Roman Catholicism has an aura of the strict, unrelenting control mechanism around it. The "unannointed" ;) may even think we run around scourging ourselves for every sinful thought. Or at least that we should do so as to avoid eternal purgatory. Well, you're wrong! In fact we're quite a happy lot ;)

1) A true Catholic must believe and do whatever the Pope says:

First, this is only true when the Pope speaks "ex cathedra". Not everything he says is a "dogma". For example, the Pope being infallible (when he speaks "ex cathedra") or Mary's Virginity are dogmata - though even they can be historically explained and thus are a matter of great debates as to how they should be interpreted. That you should not use contraceptives e.g. is NOT a dogma. It is a (strong) recommendation.
Whenever a Catholic is not sure whether such a "recommendation" makes sense, he or she must refer to their conscience. Ideally, their conscience will tell them the same the Pope said. But if not, then the Christian MUST follow his/her conscience, for blind, unreasonable believe does not make sense. God speaks to us through conscience. Of course, there is such a thing as the "erring" conscience - you must not say: "My conscience tells me adultery is okay" when it is obviously only to suit your wishes. To be safe, it is a good idea for a Catholic to follow the Pope's advice of course.
It surely helps to try and understand the reasons behind certain decisions he and his congregation made. Feel free to ask for the reason of any decision they made, if you want to understand and judge honestly if the decision was right or wrong in your opinion.

P.S.: Catholics have the one big public advantage that they can speak with one voice. We can say: What the Pope claims is what the church claims. Although that does not mean each and every Catholic agrees with each and every decision.

I hope most questions about Catholicism are answered by now already (your own conscience is what counts most), I will just add two common examples from the last post.

2) A true Catholic must not have premarital sex:

In the church's understanding there is no such thing as premarital sex. When you have sex with someone, you give him/her marriage. Marriage is nothing a priest does to you but what the couple gives each other. Meaning: when you have sex, you are married - and in the Catholic understanding that would mean a marriage for life. What happens in church is mainly the official statement of marriage before God who gives his blessing.
Logical that the church ALLOWS premarital sex under the condition that a couple is honestly planning to get married as soon as time and money will allow it.
The church also believes that good sex can only come from true love and that true love will result in marriage and a lifelong relationship. That a couple can only be happy (also sexually) if they are true to each other and want to stay with each other and also, if their love will not include themselves only but also a third party, i.e. offspring ;)

Judge for yourselves if you cannot at least understand the church's opinion here.

3) An R.E. teacher who does not live according to the church's rules (especially the rules concerning sexuality) will not be allowed to continue teaching:

First: Living by the church's rules does not include the freedom of speech. An R.E. teacher is not only allowed to but even asked to state his/her own opinion when asked by students, colleagues etc. Of course, he/she should still obey the rules BUT:
In Germany 3) is only true if someone complains about the teacher. E.g. imagine a divorced R.E. teacher living with his new girlfriend. The church will tolerate/ignore this in a state school (not in a private church school probably, where he would have given a special oath), because it is clear that it is only for God to judge the man. But as soon as someone complains about the teacher (e.g. a mother thinking that such a man should not teach her son about religion) the church has to act and will take his Missio Canonica (task to teach in the church's name) away. But such a thing rarely happens because most people have no problem with that.

The church is generally more forgiving with minor "delinquents" who do not hurt anybody than you might think. Because it knows its servants are a community of "holy ones and sinners."

I agree of course that it is more difficult to be a Catholic R.E. teacher than a Protestant one. We have to be more careful, true. But it is not half as hard as most people think. Especially not if you can understand the church's reasons for its rules.
Certainly someone who does not agree with anything the church suggests should not be teaching R.E.

UPDATE: It seems I am better informed (or more progressive) than some clerics people have experienced and who do not know the importance of spiritual welfare before a blind obedience of the rules. I apologize for the fundamentalism of some of the Lord's ground crew. "Holy ones and sinners." Unfortunately, I am not "equipped" to be the next Pope ;)

I am sure there are more questions or even prejudice about Catholicism. Maybe even more now than before I posted this. And probably not everything is answered by my first statement.
Feel free to ask. Or to ask about other faiths. I am an R.E. teacher. It's my job to answer. Every day. :)

The Controversial Survey

2008-10-07T21:04:38Z

Snatched from uhsir

[01] Do you have the guts to answer these questions and re-post as The Controversial Survey?
Yup. Doesn’t seem too revealing to me ;)

[02] Would you do meth if it was legalized?
I hadn’t known what meth was. Now that I do, I don’t understand how someone could possibly answer this question with yes. Some obviously do.
From me: a heartfelt no!

[03] Abortion: for or against it?
I am against abortion as a means of birth control or way to avoid responsibility. Personally I don’t think I could do it, because the foetus is a child for me. At the same time I believe in choice though and that everyone should have the possibility to decide for themselves. So, the laws in my country are okay. I wouldn’t have better rules to offer.

[04] Do you think the world would fail with a female president?
For one thing, the world hopefully does not depend on the U.S. so much that their president would define its fate. ;) Secondly: What kind of a sexist question is that, anyway? Who thinks the fate of the world depends on having a penis? You wish…
Over here we are quite happy with a female chancellor by the way.

[05] Do you believe in the death penalty?
Absolutely no. I don’t believe in “an eye for an eye” either. The government should not work on the same level as criminals. It should protect society from them. But not by executions.

[06] Do you wish marijuana would be legalized already?
No. I don’t do drugs. Big surprise, eh? ;)
But as long as alcohol and nicotine are legal, I do not see a reason why marijuana is illegal. All three can make you addicted, kill and destroy families. They are all considered “soft drugs”. So, why not legalize marijuana as well and give people some more choice/responsibility? It would only be logical.

[07] Are you for or against premarital sex?
For it of course. The only important thing is that no one should get hurt (apart from the SM people ;)) physically or emotionally.

[08] Do you believe in God?
Yes. Meaning some being that is greater than us and probably started it all.

[09] Do you think same sex marriage should be legalized?
Sure – it helps make people happy. It is legalized over here already J

[10] Do you think it's wrong that so many Hispanics are illegally moving to the USA?
Yes. They must be registered and if they seriously want to live and work in the U.S. because they think their chances of survival are better, they must be made citizens. Criminals etc. should be returned to their native country. I know, it’s not that easy…

[11] A twelve year old girl has a baby, should she keep it?
In an ideal world, she would have her boyfriend, parents and other adults to support her – in that case she should keep it. Even if maybe she had no idea about contraception, someone was responsible for that ignorance (parents, boyfriend) and should take that responsibility.
What if she gets no support? She hopefully knew what the consequences of sex might be – a baby. So, wanting to be an adult by having sex like she saw it on the porn sites that her society gave her access to, she should also be an adult by trying to save the baby somehow. She could have it adopted maybe.
Of course, as I am for choices (s.a.), the girl and her family must decide for themselves and every case is different.

[12] Should the alcohol age be lowered to eighteen?
It is over here. Fine with me. But there must be control of that and more information on the dangers of alcohol abuse.
Or make it illegal (s.a.) ;)

[13] Should the war in Iraq be called off?
Call off is the wrong expression here. But it should end as soon as possible.
It should never have started.

[14] Assisted suicide is illegal: do you agree?
I understand why and it would not be good if a government allowed it in general - but in certain cases (as an act of humanity) people should not face punishment.

[15] Do you believe in spanking your children?
No. Although sometimes I think it is the only language they might understand. Animals do it too. Beating up your children is a crime though.

[16] Would you burn an American flag for a million dollars?
No. Even though a flag means nothing to me, it is a strong symbol and it might hurt lots of people. Clearly not a way to get a message across. Also reminds me of the burning of books… It is a distasteful act.
If it was enough money to buy me world peace and the end of poverty though, I would do it. But these are things you can’t really “buy” I am afraid J

[17] Who do you think would make a better president? McCain or Obama?
No idea – I hope Obama will be all right at least and that it will truly be a relief to get rid of Bush. But I still suspect none of them has a real agenda, so nothing will change to the better. We can only wait and see what true face the winner will show us.

[18] Are you afraid others will judge you from reading some of your answers?
No. I wrote them so others CAN judge me, didn’t I? ;)

Flying high x-)

2008-08-03T20:01:32Z

I only just realized that there are several videos that were taken during the soundcheck and the concert at Lörrach up on youtube by now. Thus my brain thinks I am back on that market place, i.e. fan heaven. So, I am ridiculously happy in spite of the undeniable fact that I will be back at work tomorrow (where our unorganized bosses will make my job almost impossible). Who cares? Oh happy day! *babbles incoherently*

The person who filmed this must have stood very close to me:

If you are really interested, check out the videos of the soundcheck (the first four videos daddo2008 posted), because that was something different from the norm. :)

Back to school!

2008-08-01T19:23:19Z

First conference today - back in the hell house. No timetables - we had to work something out for next week ourselves again. After that I went to my classroom, carrying and pushing tables and chairs to make it presentable. Man, that furniture was dirty - but I absolutely refused to clean it. They actually expected us to bring a bucket and cloth from home as I was told later. HA! Not my job! Bad enough I played the muscle like that in the heat. Well, on Monday I will hopefully be able to do something that resembles teaching a little more ;)

When, oh when will I finally find the time to start my career in Hollywood? ;)

Here's to the preacherman!

2008-07-26T18:07:03Z

I have only just returned from my trip to Austria, followed by two days in Lörrach where I had the great privilige of seeing Leonard Cohen on stage. I was very, very lucky in everything that day and now that I have seen the living legend live I wish to thank ispellitfor reintroducing me to him simply through being his fan. Thank you! I had the most intense and fascinating concert ever. So, this is going to be a long and very personal relation of the event.

How to start? Maybe first by relating how small the market place in Lörrach looked to me when I first saw it. "Only" 5000 people were to come but I began to be terribly afraid that I would have to stand in the far back and not see enough.
Anyway, the day of the concert I watched the first soundchecks on the market place (after half a day of hiking to the ruin of a very nice castle). Some people asked when Leonard would arrive and the guys on stage said "soon". Well, I thought that couldn't possibly be, because it was only three in the afternoon and why should he arrive so early? So, I bravely went back to my hotel to pack my little bag for the concert and leave the camera in the hotel because photos were not allowed and I was afraid they would take it away.
Yet, I had a weird feeling which made me return to the market place at about four. Leonard's band was on stage. My brain started working - should I go for a little shopping or just stay a little while just in case? I walked towards the stage to have a closer look and just when I was in front of it, he suddenly stepped on stage. I must have opened my mouth in disbelief because nobody in the market place reacted. I looked at him and smiled like a madwoman - at least I guess I must have looked like a madwoman. However, if you have to put what you want to say ("yes, Leonard, I know it is you and I can't believe it, I love your poetry, especially the Book of Longing, Closing Time and So Long Marianne, you are a spiritual and emotional inspiration.") into one look, you will look a dork, too.
He smiled back, very calm, friendly and confident. And then a woman beside me yelped - she had seen him finally. We were now four or five people in front of the stage and I saw Leonard turn to his band and crew: "This is going to be a good soundcheck." Ha! He was indeed going to do his soundcheck that early and he did not mind at all that people were watching. In fact, he was enjoying it! What a professional" He started singing "Dance Me to the End of Love" and the market place filled with fans. They must have been there all the time, waiting hopefully in the adjoining streets, the bars and ice cream parlours. Well, and I had left my camera in the hotel. Got my mobile at least. People started filming and taking photos with mobiles and cameras like mad and I joined in for a bit. But then I decided to rather concentrate on the miracle that I witnessed. I mean, how lucky was I to have returned from the hotel not a minute too late?
Leonard continued the soundcheck. According to the local newspaper he prolonged it, for he sang three complete songs to please the fans. He even looked surprised every time people cheered when a check was over and smiled his boyish smile. A man shouted that people had come from all over Germany to see him and Leonard almost apologized for making people travel that far. When the check was finished, he stepped to the front of the stage and addressed the audience. He thanked for the welcome and asked whether we would all be there that night, too? We shouted our "yes" of course. And he said "see you tonight", lifted his hat and left. Somehow he managed to sneak away without people/me catching him behind the stage. :)
I was extremely happy of course. If I would really have to stand in the back that night, I had at least seen him from the first row now.

At around six people started queueing. It was not possible earlier because the market place was not closed before 6:30. Great - less time to torture my feet and back. I found myself quite in front of the queue again. But there were two entrances and the other entrance was actually closer to the stage. Well, I was in front here, so I stayed. And I was lucky yet again, for that entrance opened 15 minutes earlier than the other one. Together with a few older people I made my run to the stage. And ended up in front of Lennie's microphone stand! The lady beside me could hardly take it all in. She continued stammering how lucky that was. Behind us everybody ran, too. Old and young, they all tried to get a good position and I must say: the Cohen fans are a very friendly bunch of people. Nobody pushed or misbehaved. They did not sing all through the songs or so (only So Long Marianne and I had to join that, too - it IS a sing-along after all). Even the shouting at Leonard was kept to a minimum.
When the concert started, it swept me away. I caught myself staring with folded hands and a fascinated grin several times. I was probably having that smile all the time, apart from the very sad songs. The band was absolutely professional. These must be among the most talented musicians. Leonard himself was totally there. His voice was like a rolling of thunder, not hoarse at all, but very deep and full of emotion that was contagious - the audience was totally under his spell: they laughed when he laughed and were absolutely silent when an important message came across. I daresay, he has never sung better than during that tour. And he seemed to me more like a preacher than like a singer. Even he himself called it "a spiritual gathering" which was "a great privilege to be part of" while the "world was in chaos". Yes, it was a privilege and yes, this was very spiritual, not like the usual concert (that is rather about having fun and jumping up and down) at all.
Leonard was surprisingly energetic, as others have reported before me. He was much thinner than I had expected though, maybe that is why I was so surprised how much power and expression he put into his voice. His whole body was involved in that. He improvised his lyrics and melodies, too - as usual - and thus even deepened the message and gave his performance a special quality. (By the way, not only the "white man" is dancing now but later also the "white girls" - the Webb sisters, very funny interlude.) And he meant what he sang. When he sang a prayer, he must have really prayed, when he addressed the audience and thanked them, it seemed honest, and when he said "God bless you all" I am sure it was a real blessing. He did not do that to show off but was absolutely modest and sure of what he was doing all the time. Maybe there the Buddhist training showed. Most importantly, he seemed to really really enjoy all this. He seemed happy to be on that tour and happy that people gratefully enjoyed his music still. No, this was not for the money only.
He was funny too - with the usual sarcasm for sure. :) And he always introduced his band time and again. Modest - he can step back. He even let his background singers perform songs on their own, watching them with true joy. At one point (Tower of Song) he started the keyboard and joked about it, doing the rhythm on its own. He put on his glasses before he started to play the simple melody and thus successfully made people laugh. A man shouted (yes, men shouted more than women I must say) in imitation of Leonard's introduction of the band "At the keyboard: Mr Leonard Cohen!" Because of the very simple melody Leonard replied with an ironical smile and said "Thank you, music lovers." Everybody loved it.
"Gretchen's question": Did I cry? Not really. Okay, I had something like tears in my eyes during Hallelujah when I least expected it. But hey, I was close to the stage and the music was loud, the lights were blinding me, my feet were numb, my back ached and I had sun lotion in my eyes. That must have been it ;) It happened again during "So Long Marianne" when everyonev joined in the chorus. But I wasn't really crying like mad or so. :)

Wow. A long report indeed. But I need to remember - it is a livejournal after all.
What have I gained by travelling to Lörrach? A great respect for the man with the Stetson (I could even read the word "Stetson" when he lifted his hat), lots of joy and lots of spiritual teachings and experience. Yes, little preacherman, thank you for praying with us and also for shouting your opinions into the world. It may not change the world but maybe a few of us.
In return, the man will make even more money off me now, because I am planning to go to the Frankfurt concert too. I am truly devoted now. Well done. Chapeau! And may the white man go on dancing!

(Picture taken from www.stimmen.com)

From Russia With Love Part VI

2008-07-14T21:03:51Z

Thank you for bearing with the great big pudding's holiday chatter for so long! Here it comes: The final installment of my pictures from Russia. Enjoy!

Look who I "met" near the Museum of History:

Finally a real visit of Basilius Cathedral - inside and outside:

Wedding included ;)

Nice view across Red Square from inside the cathedral:

Some more impressions from inside the GUM:

Globalisation can't be stopped... it looks as it is rather welcomed, huh?:

Oh, yes. That was it. Russia is a beautiful country with very helpful and friendly people all around. I wish I could have stayed longer and seen more of it, especially of the countryside. Thus, I can but highly recommend a visit to all of you. :) Unfortunately, there are no cyrillic letters available here, so I'll do it the clumsy way: Doswidanja i spaziba!

From Russia With Love Part V

2008-07-13T18:21:09Z

You liked last night's first glance at Moscow? Then get ready for the sequel...

Back at the Red Square: Grave of the Unknown Soldier

Inside the GUM (more to come next time):

The GUM and Basilius Cathedral at dusk:

Utterly beautiful, huh?

At the evening of the match Russia vs. Portugal. "Potentially dangerous" football fans in the foreground and security measures in the background (yes, they were merely against hooligans and this is only half the mass of soldiers in the frame). The inner city was flooded with military and police all of a sudden. Wonder what the security measures would be, if there was a big screen for the public somewhere or a championship to be hosted... :)

Inside Kreml:

Belltower Big Iwan with the Zar's Bell on the ground:

Governmental building:

Zar's Canon:

The Senate:

Examples for the beauty of Moscow Metro:

Vernisasch - an artists' streetmarket:

Animal skins and furs are still a cultural normalcy here:

Stay tuned - tomorrow we will say goodbye to Moscow (and Russia) with a few last impressions.

From Russia With Love Part IV

2008-07-12T22:52:40Z

Jump onto the night train to Moscow with me - don't fall asleep, there's much to see...

It was midnight and still not really dark outside - doesn't really get dark that time of year in Petersburg. And we were too stupid to find out that the seats could be turned over and would have been a bed. Argh. The most uncomfortable eight hours, followed by sightseeing from morning till early afternoon. *lol* But it was worth it.

The "Red Arrow" took speed:

A train of classical beauty with uniformed crew and a welcome with music in Moscow. Wow. :) And the poor personnel had to deal with the fact that I was jumping up and down my seat, pushing my toy wolf into their faces when I found out Germany was in the football final. Undeserved victory of course.

Basilius Cathedral at the Red Square (backside):

Red Square (Kreml to the left, Museum of History in front):

Kreml:

GUM - the famous shopping mall:

Lenin's Mausoleum:

Nice bridge behind the newly built Christ the Saviour Cathedral:

Christ the Saviour Cathedral:

In the background you can see a skyscraper whose top is actually made of papier-mache. Some years ago, the colour reacted with the air and changed to red which some people took as a sign that one should return to communism. It was quickly repainted yellowish :) :

New Virgin's Monastery (where nuns used to share the grounds with soldiers - they did not really get along well):

Icon of John the Baptist:

The belltower:

Moscow University:

Lenin Stadium:

Hope you enjoyed the hasty little tour. Next time there will be some more impressions from the Russian metropolis.

From Russia With Love Part III

2008-07-11T09:48:37Z

Fasten your seatbelts for a look at Tsarskoye Selo (Catherine's Palace) and Peterhof. WARNING: Heavy sarcasm included. No offence intented!

The beautiful gate to the Yard of Honour. (Yes, dear feathered friend, it is where "AR's" carriage went through and where he vomited. Couldn't take a photo of the "holy" floor though, for I was surrounded by overexcited tourists.)

Crappo weather indeed... (Yes, in the movie there was no asphalt - will you be quiet and look? ;))

Yes, refurbishing at the famous golden towers of the church (to the left of the building). Yargh. Fortunately, I bought myself a booklet with piccies :)

The Staircase of Honour:

Rooms for thrones need a certain length :) (No, the woman in front is not Rima Horton - beak to remain closed, dear friend.).

To keep the rooms warm - still in use:

Back in the staircase:

Raspberry Coloured Pilaster Room:

Green Pilaster Room (I want it):

The sign refers to the adjoining room, so no, it was not allowed to take photos in the Amber Room. :( (Stop shrieking "AMBER EYES", go and find some pictures of the room on the internet.) ;)

Green Dining Room:

Area designed by Cameron - that modest "ramp" was made for the emperess' wheelchair.

Let's leave Tsarskoye Selo and travel to Peter's refuge Peterhof now:

You can see the Baltic at the horizon. Peter loved the sea and hated Moscow for the massacre he had to witness there as a child.

Hitchcock-like cameo ;) (Glad I've had a haircut by now.)

Peter was a practical joker. No way could you get to the bench dry - the water would start as soon as you stepped on the stones:

Not that it is a particularly warm area so close to the sea:

Have a cuddle with your loved one on those benches and suddenly get all wet? (urgh, no pun intended) Although, as long as you don't jump up in shock, you might stay dry...

Peter's "small" house by the sea. He preferred that to the palace:

Finland at the horizon:

Another Peter Paul Cathedral:

Next time we'll catch the night train to Moscow, if you want to join. *waves*