She will be wax in your hands

 In the beginning of our story, there - skin to skin, in the gleam of candles - we listened in silence..

From what I've seen, you're magnificent
You fight evil with all you do
Your every act is spectacular
It makes me lay here and love you

From what I hear, you are generous
You make sunshine and glory too
When you walk in things go luminous
It makes me lay here and love you

From what I know, you're terrified

You have mistrust running through you
Your smile is hiding something hurtful
It makes me lay here and love you

It makes me lay here and love you
I'm filled with violet and red and blue
I have a feeling from what I do
That you might lay there and love me too

Lay and Love by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

By Bean & Crumpet

You've made her oblong

Hiprakassa oleva mies astuu jazziin erikoistuneeseen levykauppaan. Hän lyö tiskille sekalaisen kourallisen kolikoita ja sanoo, suomalaisittain ääntäen:

"Täältäkö sitä saa sitä Mi-les Da-vi-esia?"

By Bean & Crumpet

Incognito, of course

How would you like to be

  Down by the Seine with me?

  Oh, what I'd give for a moment or two 

Under the bridges of Paris with you.

Madame Edith sings Under the Bridges of Paris in Allo 'Allo!

By Bean & Crumpet

I'll go and see him now

Tonight we are going to Enjoy The Silence..

By Bean & Crumpet

There's something I've been meaning to tell you for some time

Finally, inspired by Outi and Mai, here's our travel diary from our trip to New York in May 2009. We are already planning our next trip, so watch out NY, we are coming..

Bubba & Bean (this place was a real find and well definately go back), Lexington Avenue ("our" street), Central Park: Bethesda Fountain and Terrace & the Ramble and Lake (the birds singing and woods rustling almost coverd the noices of the city [and those turtles bathing in the sun, cute]) & Alice in Wonderland statue near Conservatory Water (children and child-minded sailing their boats) & Hans Christian Andersen's statue (copper all polished from the loving hands of it's visitors), Twin Towers of Central Park West (where celebreties live, we are told;)), John's Pizzeria (Eastside, 408 E 64th St: ours and also Woody Allen's favorite:)), Bloomingdales,

Best Buy, Central Synagogue, Christ Church United Methodist, Lexington Candy Shop (highly recommended by TimeOut, but where the waitress tried to overcharge us - luckily Bean quickly spotted the rip off - my clever man [and the food was nothing to write home about either]), Coors (the label in the bottle changed it's colour when the beer was cold enough, yay!),
Starbucks (one must, so Bean volunteered), Metropolitan Museum of Art & Petrie Court Café and Wine Bar (amazing museum and delightful cafe with nice food), Dean & Deluca Deli, Food Emporium, In Touch Weekly, Joy Burger (great burgers and friendly staff), Burger King (blaah), Associated Supermarket (the place to get your drinks, but that's all), Guggenheim (buildings architecture was beautiful and we found nice coasters:)), Passione Pizza & Restaurant and their delicious pizza pie, Gourmet Garage (try: Three Lentil Chili Soup, New England clam chowder, wonderful baguette, fresh fruit salads, Sushicado & California rolls, the cheese selection, fresh guacamole..this is heaven),
New York CityPass (very convenient), Finlandia Cheese (yes, really!), New York State Volunteer Ambulance (the volunteer-part sounded peculiar, but makes sense on their webpage), huge thunderstorm and rain, rain, rain (it rained whole months worth in our two weeks, but we didn't mind, we addapted our plans according to weather :)), Primeburger (we ended up here, because La Bonne Soupe had fire in the kitchen - fun and a bit strange atmosphere, but plain food), Saint Patrick's Cathedral, MoMA (so much to see, favorite),
rapper 50 Cent on the street in front of Peninsula New York hotel (this was our obligatory celebrity spotting;)), Eli Zabar E.A.T. , People Magazine (time for gossip) , Sutton Place & Queensboro Bridge (quiet area with lots of nannyes with children), Carl Schurz Park & Gracie Mansion (lots of locals in the park - mayor's residence looked like a lovely doll's house), (Marisa's Famous) Sandwich Shoppe & our favorite American Me panini (fresh and delicious, despite not so prominent appearence of the shop), Sauza Gold Tequila & ever so nice Liquor-Store-Guy who wanted to know about us and who we disapointed by telling that Finlandia Vodka was no longer Finnish brand (this was something many asked from us!), and yes, they sell their stuff behind a plexi glass..), softball match in a field (all-girl team in their uniforms and that nice New Yorker guy who commented the game to us:)), Lemon Tea Snapple from a street vendor (not to our taste), readymade fruit salads sold everywhere (loved these),
MetroCard for convenience, rush hour subway (it's packed, of course), Man vs. Food in tv (quantity over quality?), Meals on Wheels van on the street (this concept is familiar to Finns from TV series Twin Peaks:)), crosstown bus to Upper West Side, Sarabeth's (Eggs Benedict and great coffee), American Museum of Natural History, (well, the dinosaurs were great, but..) Hayden Planetarium & Cosmic Collisions film narrated by Robert Redford (Robert really sucked us in to this story), Central Park & Great Lawn (it is big), Egg salad (not to our taste), Bass Pale Ale & Anchor Steam Beer in White Horse Tavern & Bob the Bartender (great beer and chatty landlord), Empire State Building (where the view is beautiful, but you feel like cattle rushed to corral), Les Halles (a tiny bit of France [even the waiter greeted us in French!]),
Flatiron Building (the mandatory picture spot) and Garment district street markets (where Crumpet found her inner haggler for the very first time in her life:)), hot dog from a street vendor, Madison Square Park (New Yorkers having their lunch), Greenwich Village (nice, but rather upmarket atmosphire), Washington Square Park & Washington Square Arch with buskers (people listened to jazz and danced with their partners, lovely), El Paso Taqueria (1642 Lexington Avenue, served us the most delicious mexican food [Sopa de Mariscos, Soft Tacos and Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast and Burrito de Carne and Guacamole]), Budweiser,
subway service change & shuttle bus to our destination (there was always someone giving directions and telling what to do, so we didn't mind at all), Sherman Creek & Fort Tryon Park (it was foggy and warm and almost no people around - were we really in Manhattan?), The Cloisters Museum and Gardens (almost in the northern tip of the Manhattan island, this gem emerged from the fog (we had almost lost hope of finding it) - this medieval collection is definately worth a visit), Broadway (it is very(!) long), Harlem (stereotype or not, but this was the only time we heard people talking about shooting), Malcolm X Boulevard (we walked from through Harlem to our b&b and still felt totally safe, so go for it), Sylvia's (serving soul food, so we had: Bar-B-Que Ribs, Oven Baked Half Chicken Black Eyed Peas, Baked Macaroni & Cheese, Candied Yams and the result=stuffy tastes [and bad service]), Little Africa Shop & and loads of earrings, Harlem Meer ,
Spanish Harlem (loving it's energy and informal atmosphere), Miller's Golden Draft, Shorty's Bar & Amber Ale (we were thirsty, what can I say :)), Port Authority Bus Terminal (where would you like to go, dear?), Gramercy , Garment District , James Farley Post Office (General Post Office), Times Square (and all the tourists in NY), Midtown (and money talks), McDonald's (everything is always packed to go even if you are eating in, so loads of waste :(, Hell's Kitchen and still walking (my legs are killing me:)) Union Square, Madison Square Garden (it´s huge, even from the outside), romantic picnic in Central Park (where Bean got hit by a little boy's baseball:D), NY Times Sunday Edition (takes hours to finish), New York Post, Papaya King (for us Seinfeld fans), Dunkin Donuts (Bean sacrificed himself, 'cos Crumpet does not like sweet food:)), Shanghai Pavillion & great dumplings & Kung Pao Chicken, Laytner's Linen (where we got some lovely hats),
AMC Loews & Star Trek movie (we little trekkies), Pastrami Queen & Hot pastrami (too much meat, definately!), Barnes & Noble (books, books, books; yay), East Village, Other Music (all these hip/alternative record stores look the same around the world), Dumpling Man (yes, oh, yes, they are the best!), yard sale on the street (little old ladys selling their junk, but it was fun anyhow), Giovanna's Restaurant & Pizzeria (Penne Alla Vodka, Fettucini Alfredo: just heaven), Jewish museum (beautiful collection of judaica), United Nations Headquarters (we drove by on a bus), Lower East Side (we didn't walk here, thank..), New York City Hall, New York County Supreme Court (familiar from Law & Order :)), walking over Brooklyn bridge with gazillion tourists and few local joggers), Manhattan bridge, Statue of Liberty (far away in the distance), Clocktower residences (it rules Brooklyn), Song restaurant (nice thai food and some bubbly),

McCarren Park (people throwing balls and barbecuing), Brooklyn Brewery (why, oh why, was it closed), Brooklyn Pilsner (to compensate:)), Little Italy (filled with tourists), Chinatown (Asian people still living here and getting served on their languages, great), Jimmy's Classic Diner, B Bar & Mohito & Cosmopolitan (where we got carded :)), Downtown Music Gallery (it's boiling hot in the basement, but what wouldn't you do for records:)), Lincoln center, going to a concert in Avery Fisher Hall & to listening to New York Philharmonics perform Jean SibeliusSymphony no. 5 (unfortunately Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen cancelled, but we enjoyed the concert anyway:))

Notes about something:

- If you walk over 120 blocks a day, it is a lot.
- New Yorkers dress casually, so no preasure like in Paris for example.
- It feels terrible not to recycle, because all the plastic you carry home (you need to buy everything you drink, including water, because it tastes so bad).
- Over 1000 channels in cable TV but it's still mostly Seinfeld, Friends, Frasier etc. (but we loved the local NY TV channel, especially the story about the runaway cow in Queens:)).
- If you are going into a concert where they play music by a Finnish composer you are probably going to run into some Finns.
- NY and especially Manhattan is green (as in loads of trees, parks, flowers etc.) which surprised us, in a very nice way.
- Those yellow cabs are great for fun experiences: when we arrived to JFK, our driver to city was of Russian decent and listened to Russian radio station (are we in the right country?) and when we left, our driver got in to heated argument with some guy repairing the street and cops (really!) came to calm him down.
- Best way to see the city is walk, walk, walk and ride the bus (the locals are there too).
- Tipping & sales tax: to a Finn it takes a awhile to get used to the fact that the prices are not transparent. But remember, that those waiters and waitress' (and people in customer service in general) get big part of their salary from those tips, so tip accordingly when you get good service (minimum 15 percent)!
- Conscientious dog owners, no poo on pavement. Or is this the reason why they are washing the streets constantly?
- Lack of graffiti and stencils in Manhattan, which was a shame in our view. New York has really "cleaned up".
- Happy families and child-oriented parents. People seemed to interact and play with their children, which we liked.
- Choose Finnairs non-stop direct flights from Helsinki to NYC, the flight is long enough as it is with out extra stops on the way.
- Jetlag didn't bother us when going to New York, but when getting back it hit us hard. Reserve couple of days of relaxation and don't drink tequila straight after when you get back home! :D

By Bean & Crumpet

It seemed to him absurd to think of going to bed when he was feeling like this

Lawrence of Arabia - Peter of Yemen

Berg- und Talfahrt: A Night in Sana´a CD (ARM 02, 2009)

I could say this release came around corner and surprised me. Peter Brötzmann playing with musicians from Yemen and one of concert recorded at Deutsches Haus in Yemen. Long time Brötz collaborator Michael Zerang came along with his drums, four pieces from Brötzmann and two Yemenese tradional are played here. 

And what a nice ride this is. Brötzmann is quite melodic and not at his most furious here, giving space to other very skilled musicians here. Middle-eastern melodies are fused with trademark Brötzmann solos. Yemenese musicians seem to know how to play free and Brötzmann can surf on middle-eastern scales keeping his own sound present. Very nice interpretation of "Master of Small House" is played here, called "Song for Fred". It seems that Brötzmann gets to bluesy mood every time he plays with Zerang. Percussion is top notch all the way, darbuka providing good steady backing. Other very memorable parts on this recording are provided by violin and cello, both are given space to solo and search. Recording has nice live feel to it.

I would say this is the most original Brötzmann CD that came out this year. But is this really Brötzmann CD, maybe only in Europe?

Line up:

Peter Brötzmann - saxophone, clarinet
Michael Zerang - drums
Abdul-Aziz Mokrid - violin
Kalid Barkosch - cello
Achmed Al-Khalidy - kanun
Ali Saleh - ney
Yasir Al-Absi - darbuka

Get it from: talklang

By Bean

The whole neighbourhood is ringing with the story of your passion

Vaikka paluu Helsingin harmauteen ei ollut helppo Lissabonin valon jälkeen, on kotona silti hyvä olla.

Matkamme kului loistavasti: seura oli mitä mainiointa, ehdimme tehdä & tietysti syödä monenlaista ja lennot sekä yöpyminen hotellissa (josta lisää myöhemmin) sujuivat erittäin mukavasti.

Tässä muutamia matkan kohokohtia satunnaisessa järjestyksessä:

- Fadoa & illallinen Parreirinha de Alfamassa - istuimme lähes esiintyjien sylissä, mikä teki kokemuksesta erittäin vaikuttavan
- Museo Gulbenkian - vihdoinkin Crumpet näki jo kauan ihailemaansa Réne Laliquen töitä sekä lempitaiteilijaansa Turneria (vaikkeivat kokoelman Rubensin ja Rembrantin työtkään olleet hassumpia :)) Meitä molempia viehätti myös itse museon arkkitehtuuri sekä hauskana yksityiskohtana koristetaiteen osa-alueelta löytyvä 1700-luvulta peräisin oleva kello, joka edelleen käy..
- Vinho verde, ginja, port, Mateus Rose
- UNESCOn maailmanperintökohde Sintra ja Palácio Nacional de Sintra sekä erityisesti Palácio Nacional da Pena (tai kuten Bean sitä leikkisästi kutsui, Penan Palatsi:)) säväytti kauniin sijaintinsa ja hämmästyttävän tasokkaan interiöörinsä takia
- Sé de Lisboa ja vielä kivutaan ylöspäin
- Joka puolelle sirotellut stencilit pitkin kaupunkia
- Torre de Belém ja sen viereltä rannalta simpukoita sinnikkäästi keräillyt vanha mies sekä Vasco da Gaman viimeinen leposija Mosteiro dos Jerónimos
- Raitiovaunu 28, joka oli aina täynnä
- Elevador de Santa Justa & ihan kohtuullinen jonotusaika
- Helppokäyttöinen ja erittäin siisti metroverkosto
- Casa Nostra ravintola (löytyihän se viimein) ja hauska tarjoilijasetä, joka oli asunut aiemmin 13 vuotta Kööpenhaminassa (ja joka halusi oppia vaikeaa suomea ja inhosi ruotsalaisia :))
- Parque Eduardo VII, aivan siinä hotellin ovella
- Ystävällinen ja avulias palvelu sekä vastaanotto kaikkialla
- Seikkailu Alfaman kapeilla kujilla Castelo de São Jorgessa vierailun jälkeen, kun "hävisimme kartalta" katujen pienuuden vuoksi - emme löytäneet etsimäämme ravintolaa, mutta sattumalta törmäsimme romanttiseen italialaiseen ravintolaan Santo António de Alfamaan, jossa sateen ropistessa terassin viiniköynnöksiin nautimme herkullisen lounaan
- Ravintola Cervejaria Ribadouro raputankkeineen & herkullinen turskapaistos sekä hyvin piilotettu enoteca Chafariz do Vinho, jossa nautimme kuohuvaa ja katselimme taiteellisia alastonkuvia
- Estoril, hiekkaranta ja meressä kahlailu (Crumpet keräsi simpukankuorikokoelman ja rakensi pienen hiekkalinnan, jonka meri tosin vei mennessään)
- Erittäin edulliset taksimatkat & ystävälliset kuljettajat
- Uskomattoman laaja ja herkullinen ruokavalikoima buffetissa Restaurante Rodízio Grill'issä, aivan härkätaisteluareenan vieressä
- Vastapuolen tunteita kuumentaneet vaalimainosautot (vota CDU)
- Matkamme ajankohtaan sattunut pyhäpäivä Implantação da República ja vapaapalokuntalaisten juhlallinen paraati
-Upea A Brasileira & ihanan viileä Super Bock janoon..

By Bean & Crumpet

People always play, when...

Tämän vuoden taiteiden yö oli erityisen hauska tapahtuma, koska osa ohjelmistosta sijoittui Stadikalle (tai kuten eräs pieni niin osuvasti mainitsi "kesämökillemme"). Taiteiden yössä etsimme aina sekä kulttuurisia, että kulinaristisia elämyksiä ja myös tänä vuonna onnistuimme löytämään molempia..

Taiteiden yö 2009 oli:
kiehtova & mielikuvituksellinen Wet Sounds, free folk Kemialliset ystävät, Talvipuutarhan ikebana-asettelut, drinkit ravintola Töölönrannan terassilla, ranskalainen free-jazz rumpali, joka soitti puussa roikkuen Töölönlahdella, hodarit kojusta, Jazz-pikinik à la Dj Bunuel Hesperian puistossa ja lopuksi ehdoton helmi, jonne aina haluamme taiteiden yön päättää - Villa Kiven kirjailijailta, jossa nautimme hiukan punaviiniä sekä hirvimakkaraa & kana-ja rapuvartaan avec perusalaatti.

By Bean & Crumpet

A cascade of white moustache

Waiting for tonight - Krafwerk

By Bean & Crumpet

Heart-heart talk

Everybody remembers Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, cool hardbop and free jazz, soul and funk jams from the 60´s. But there were also other stuff like this Grammy-winning gem:

Allan Sherman: Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter From The Camp), 1963

By Bean

A rough end of an pineapple

Let's listen to a hymn dedicated to the disappearing gentlemens lavatories of Old London by Dudley Sutton.

By Crumpet
--------
Kuunnelkaamme Dudley Suttonin hymniä, joka on omistettu Vanhan Lontoon katoaville herrasmiesten mukavuuslaitoksille.

By Crumpet

What a wonderful world

World is drowned in white. Midst all the whiteness I only see you. Snow scrunches under my feet and the wind howls. In the ice-skating ring speakers play PMMP and their song, that I used to listen when missing you.

Suddenly the skies are enlighten by a lightning. Thunder roars.

I could follow you 'till the end of the time...

By Crumpet
-------------
Maailma on hukkunut valkoiseen vaippaan. Valkoisuuden keskellä näen vain sinut. Lumi narskuu jalkojen alla ja tuuli ujeltaa. Luistinradan kaiuttimissa soi PMMP ja heidän laulunsa, jota joskus kuuntelin, kun ikävöin sinua.

Yhtäkkiä taivaan valaisee salama. Ukkonen jyrisee.

Voisin seurata sinua vaikka maailman ääriin..

By Crumpet

Bright and early

Morning sunshine in my eyes, I squint.

Underneath a new, black Citroën (borrowed).

Eläintarhanlahti is calm, reflecting on its surface the light blue of the cloudless sky.
Wonderwall is playing…and I sing along.
You there, me here, next to each other.
Shall we stay here forever?
--------------------
Aamuinen aurinko paistaa suoraan silmiin, siristelen.

Alla pörrää uusi, musta citikka (lainattu).

Eläintarhanlahti on peilityyni ja heijastaa pinnallaan pilvettömän taivaan vaalean sinen.
Wonderwall soi.. ja minä laulan mukana.
Sinä siinä, minä tässä, vierekkäin.
Ollaanko aina tässä vain?

By Crumpet

Glad to hear

Let's listen, what Lilly Allen has to say..

By Crumpet
-----
Kuunnellaanpa, mitä Lilly Allen'illa on sanottavaa..

By Crumpet

I happen to like New York..

Bean & Crumpet decided yesterday, that instead of going to Rome (again) next spring, to choose New York instead! :)

By the words of Cole Porter (this song marvellously opens Woody Allen's Broadway Danny Rose) - here we come!

I HAPPEN TO LIKE NEW YORK

I happen to like New York, I happen to like this town.

I like the city air, I like to drink of it,

The more I know New York the more I think of it.

I like the sight and the sound and even the stink of it.

I happen to like New York.

I like to go to Battery Park and watch those liners booming in.

I often ask myself, why should it be that they come so far across the sea.

I suppose it's because they all agree with me. They happen to like New York.

Last Sunday afternoon I took a trip to Hackensack,

But after I gave Hackensack the once over, I took the next train back.

I happen to like New York. I happen to love this burg.

And when I have to give the world a last farewell,

And the undertaker starts to ring my funeral bell,

I don't want to go to heaven, don't want to go to hell.

I happen to like New York. I happen to like New York.

By Crumpet

-------------

B&C päätti eilen, että suunnitellun Rooman (uusinta)matkan sijaan lähdemmekin New Yorkiin! :)

Cole Porterin sanoin (tämä laulu muuten avaa upeasti Woody Allenin elokuvan Broadway Danny Rose) - täältä tullaan!

By Crumpet

Love conquers all

Right now, I truly can say that: love conquers all.. Here's a little song for all you sobby and romantic like me..

Sir Galahad
by Joan Baez

--------------
Juuri nyt voin allekirjoittaa otsikon: rakkaus voittaa kaiken.. Tässä pikkuinen laulu kaikille nyyhkyille ja romantikoille, millainen itsekin olen..
Sir Galahad
by Joan Baez

By Crumpet

Black hole sun

Black Hole Sun
By Soudgarden

In my eyes, indisposed
In disguise as no one knows
Hides the face, lies the snake
The sun in my disgrace
Boiling heat, summer stench
'Neath the black the sky looks dead
Call my name through the dream
And I'll hear you scream again

Black hole sun
Won't you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Won't you come
Won't you come
Won't you come

Stuttering, cold and damp
Steal the warm wind tired friend
Times are gone for honest men
And sometimes far too long for snakes
In my shoes, a walking sleep
And my youth I pray to keep
Heaven send Hell away
No one sings like you anymore

Hang my head, drown my fear
Till you all just disappear

Black Hole Sun is dedicated to Bean (the love of my life), who will for ever and ever carry black hole sun with him..
By Crumpet