Gigs of 2011

As the weather gets ever gloomier and nothing terribly exciting goes on in my life of late, I find myself daydreaming of last summer. And as all films (films of memories included) should have appropriate soundtracks , I tried to imagine what soundtrack my last summer would have had. That got me thinking of all the music, new or familiar, that I got to experience this past year. Hence this retrospective post.

So, what would the soundtrack of 2011 be?

Well, my birthdays are always medieval, so the soundtrack of my 30th birthday would have to be Holloenek, newly discovered medieval band from Hungary. They were fun just like that day was fun.

Soon it was August and it was time for the Artmania festival in Sibiu: 3 days a year of pure artistic, architectural, gastronomic and, of course, musical bliss. And oh, what a city!

In the morning, I had my breakfast in the courtyard of this

to the tune of Lacuna Coil's sound check, and in the evening I blew bubbles with Morti under the obscure light of this,

 

to the tune of our own laughter (just like back then...) and at night I experienced the much expected annual catharsis, under the shadow of this,

 

 while,  on stage, Tony Kakko did his power (metal) walk,

 

Tarja Turunen did exactly what was expected of her (namely, to blow everybody's minds), 

  

 

and Lacuna Coil left me breathless with unexpected awe:

 

But Sibiu had other artistic surprises in store for me, too. A tattoo festival was taking place at the same time with Artmania, and the special guest there was this delicate, beautiful, incredibly expressive Japanese dancer, whose traditional dance left quite an impression in my memory.

 

  

But the summer progressed, and there was no time to waste. The Peninsula festival, in our very own Tg Mures, brought Guano Apes, which I will remember as being utterly forgettable,

 

and the Hungarians from Tankcsapda, whose lyrics I do not understand, but who were so much more fun to watch and listen to:

 

I usually don't need much of an excuse to visit Sibiu, but at the end of August, it had a damn good reason to call me again. The medieval festival was a bland, dusty, badly organised affair, which made me waste a whole day in the scorching sun, without offering anything interesting to do or see. But they brought Corvus Corax in the evening, and that made it all worth the sunburn. I didn't know much about them, but that night, I left as a die-hard fan. The self-proclaimed kings of medieval music really lived up to their title. 

  

I could go on for another couple of pages telling you why I think Corvus Corax are so epic, but I'll just go on to what was the highlight of 2011 for me. Finally, after years of yearning and bad timing and failed attempts, finally, in November, I got to see Amorphis. With all the excitement, I forgot to charge the batteries in my camera, so all I have as proof of a great concert is this:

In conclusion, the winners of the Soundtrack for 2011 award? It would have to be a tie between Amorphis, for their emotional significance in my life, and Corvus Corax, for their sheer newly discovered awesomeness. As such, feel free to pick the one you prefer:

Best Wedding Ever

 

 Lately, more and more of the people I know who are of "marriageable age" are very reluctant to do it. Not because my generation has any more commitment issues than the previous ones, but because the traditional way of getting married is becoming unacceptable for most. 

The extreme public exposure, the many embarrassing customs, the extreme pressure of having to do everything just right or else people will talk, the awkwardness of having to kiss over 100 people you don't know are enough to put even the most extroverted among us off a traditional, parent-imposed wedding. Oh, and the religious directives...don't even get me started on those!

Which is why our friends' wedding this weekend was a breath of fresh air. Spontaneous, sketchy, relaxed and very rock'n'roll. An example to follow.

First, there was the civil ceremony. Giggles, jokes, teary-eyed parents, all standard fare.

Then the less-than-standard fare: a live gig with a cover band consisting of 4 insanely talented young guys.

We were thrilled with their skill, they were thrilled at our response. I see a great future for these guys.

Then, in a matter of minutes, it was out of fancy clothes, into the usual gear and off to the mountains, where the party continued until the sun came up. There was gulyas...

 ... there was a camp fire,

...there was plenty of booze...and the rest is history. Which will remain unrecorded. For the sake of our reputations.

However unsteady and light-sensitive we felt the next morning, the glorious autumn sun made it impossible to stay indoors. So off we went on Mr. & Mrs. Coman's first hike as a married couple.

 

It was also little Cody's first hike ever (he did very well, except he didn't see much of the scenery, as he was asleep the whole time).

 Everybody had a whale of a time (or a sheep-dog of a time, to be in keeping with the monsters that attacked us at one point of the hike), and I'm sure that everyone made mental notes of how things will be done at their own weddings, inspired by our friends' choices. This wedding weekend was so relaxed, personalised, fun and original that it has surely become a trend-setter.

Good job, Mircea & Laura! May your life together be nothing but a succession of weekends like this one! And thanks for the pictures :)

The 101st post

Yes, my dear hypothetical readers, I have thus far given you one hundred updates to my hectic, crafty, sunny and tough Transylvanian life! I never thought I would post so regularly, but I have really enjoyed keeping you up to date with my comings and goings. Let's have a virtual drink and toast to the longevity of my travel blog! For he's a jolly good social interaction mediuuuuum....

I'm tired as hell, I don't think I've had one whole hour to myself in the past month. On the upside, it seems that my life is heading into a new and thrilling direction. I'm curious to see how it will go and where it will take me. Don't worry, I'll keep you posted :>

Ok, now I guess it's time for an update to cover my 6 week absence from the world of blogs. The excuse for my absence? A new job (added to my previous 2). Can you guess what it is? Here, I'll give you a clue:
And before I got this new job, I had a month full to the brim with love. I don't know how else to express it better, except that I felt pure joyful love...
...for the people around me
...and the experiences we had together.
For the divine music we listened to...
...and the hungover exhaustion that followed.
For some indescribably beautiful places that are close to my heart...
...and the daydreams they usually bring to life in my overactive imagination.
For the unique beauty you can find on the dark side...
For simple things that never cease to awe me...
...and the liberating, tingling feeling commonly known as "being yourself".

This past period was everything I have ever been known to resonate to. It was fun, it was gothic, it was crazy, it was medieval, it was sunny, it was dark, it was tasty, it was me.

Omg... is it possible that I might actually be happy ?