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A six dollar stool in Brooklyn and Madredeus on my mind

My co-worker Gemma, which I shortly mentioned in an earlier post already invited me to come over for dinner last night. Her boyfriend Giddeon is a young and coming filmmaker from London currently working on a film about a Magnum Photographer and Shoka, another co-worker, was also there.

The day at work was a bit rough and I wasn't in the best mood when I got out of work. I took the train and went onto hostile ground: Brooklyn. Well of course it's not real hostile ground, I don't know much about Brooklyn. But just everybody seems to live in Brooklyn or wants to live there. Living on the outskirts of the Bronx is what I call hip. Not Williamsburg, or Red Hook, Parkslope or whichever place in Brooklyn. Come on, the Bronx rules! :-)

So anyway, I turned on the music and went to Gemmas und Giddeons apartment near Atlantic Avenue. Wow, what a nice area. The street and the building in which they live seemed very English to me. A good place for those two Londoners and a small but really nice apartment.

I already knew that we are going to have difficulties with the supply of enough seats. Gemma asked me at work to bring a stool or something similar to sit on. She apologized but hey, sort of a nice thought to bring your own chair wherever you go. :-) Of course they took care of it and Giddeon presented me (being a little proud, helpless and excusing at the same time) a nice little stool wich he got for six dollars at a local furniture store. Jokes aside, it wasn't that bad really. We had a huge pillow in between our stools and butts so everything was fine! But of course it's a nice story to tell. :-)

We had great food, a huge chicken which didn't seem to have any meat on at all until we discovered that it was roasted upside down, vegetables, potatoes and some other stuff. We had good wine, good talks and music to which we could perfectly relaxe. And those stools of course... Giddeon showed me some music videos he did and parts of his documentary. Let me tell you, some really good stuff! Unfortunately he doesn't yet have a website. But we might work on that.
I finally left at about 02:30 am. I've been offered a bed but felt like doing the two hour journey to come home. I was so much looking forward to 11 hours of sleep already. Well, at the end I only got about 7 but I'd say it was worth a try.

Well and today was a concert of the Portuguese band Madredeus in Austria... And I wasn't there... Bad luck. Shortly before I left Vienna to go to New York in April a friend of mine told me that Madredeus will be coming to performe in St. Poelten on October 1st. But wait, can't they just come somwhen in November, they can't come in October. I won't be in Austria at that time. I guess by know you have the conjecture that I like Madredeus. And you are right. I love Portugal, the people there, the landscape and the wide areas which haven't yet really been occupied by tourism. I've been there for five years in a row and thanks to my friend Thomas, Madredeus have pretty much been my travel company.
I am not crazy about concerts in general. I can easily list all concerts I've been to in the last five years on one hand. But I really wanted to see Madredeus live. I'd actually like to meet these guys. They by the way also played such an important role in Wim Wenders 1994 movie "Lisbon Story" which I like a lot. But my girlfriend went there and I am curious to hear how it was. And I decided that I am going to see Madredeus live in Portugal one day. Even better. :-) Have a great weekend!

Posted by Martin Fuchs on October 1, 2005 11:53 PM