| The camping area of the Uppsala Reggae Festival. The music was pretty loud at my location (the bridge) and I made a mental note not to forget ear protectors if I decide to enter someday. It's fun to think that our little city can host such a big music event. Have fun kids! (Insert moral advice here) |
| Remembering the moment in time when so many innocent souls were ripped from this world. A hideous moment, and a wound in all humanity. We must not let this moment pass, but keep it present. It is the least we can do. Like previous years, there was a solemn ceremony to commemorate the victims of the first nuclear bomb, by the river in central Uppsala. Small lanterns were set into the stream and glided slowly away. And birds passed overhead in parallell. |
| Now, in early August, the Sun starts to go down earlier, striking a grassy field from the side. Nature's great blushing is in the making. |
| In lack of other models, one must use what is at hand, namely myself. Equipped with a tripod and a remote trigger, the self portrait is a breeze. Once you've found the right spot to stand on, that is. I mounted the flash above me, looking down, just to try it. It's good to try things in the uncommon fashion. |
 | Tired of taking pictures of yourself from an arm's length away? Or having family pictures where there's always one member missing? Do you live in Sweden, pretty close to Uppsala? Look no further. I've just launched a new photography site, where I offer my services as a photographer. Also, on the site are a number of photos. Some have been posted on this blog, others not. It was about time that I collected and structured my best photos, and made something out of it. Please, feel free to check it out! (it's in Swedish) |
| August is here and so is a new feature on this blog: Picture of the day! Expect a new image every day (or almost every day, can't promise..) and as always, you are more than welcome to comment. Today's shows a dangerous place to park your bicycle, right next to the river. Every year, divers pull out dozens of two-wheelers from the shallow waters. I do see a practical reason for the colours, though, since your vehicle becomes instantly recognizable in the midst of thousands. And it looks really neat, too. |
| The summer in the city of Uppsala usually means emptiness, with all the students back home. Instead, you see people with maps and an enthusiasm for the buildings that most residents can't muster anymore. But today, on my way back from a visit to the photography shop, I found the centre quite lively. Perhaps it's time to scratch the old views, and start afresh. |
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| From Bargemon 2010 |
| For the fifth time, I took part of the musical week in Bargemon, in Provence, France. Differently from other years, the final presentation wasn't a concert in the church, but a masque performed in the multi-purpose village hall. It was a wonderful week, with a lot of music, wine, football-playing (taca-taca) and, of course, photography. It was the hottest year, according to those that know, and temperatures didn't go below 30° until well after sunset. | There were also traces after the devastating rains in June, which fortunately didn't affect Bargemon as bad as Draguignan, just 25 kms away, where dozens of lives were lost. There were three small children present, Maj 4 years old, Lisa, 1,5 years, and Valdemar of only a few months. They sure helped bring down the average age of the group, and were the objects of fascination. Enjoy the photos! |
Tonight, around 200 people gathered at the riverside to follow the game between Chile and Brazil. 80 % Chileans, 10 % Brazilians and 10 % Miscellaneous. I got there with about 10 minutes left, and it seemed the three goals by Brazil had sunk into the minds of the supporters. The flags that had bounced and waved through the warm air, were now draped around their bodies, to fend off the chill. A few lame shots to the opponents' goal made the crowd raise a cheer, with minimal upward force. But the sentiment was not one-handed. As soon as the whistle finished the game, a spirit of achievement and pride emerged. Flags were once again lifted, chants repeated, - we made it to here, and how good it was. |
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| From Midsommar2010 |
| Another Midsummer has past and I spent it with friends by the coast. More specifically on Björkö, a two-hour drive from Uppsala. It is truly beautiful in these parts. Quite different from the Uppsalian topography. We enjoyed our stay at Lyckhem Vandrarhem, located in the midst of the woods, and with plenty of birds and mosquitos. Luckily, Clara had brought her Mosquito Repeller (emitting a high pitched sound, imitating a mosquito in heat, | or something) and I was armed with a strong chemical/toxic deterrent which I smeared on exposed skin, and was saved from any bites. When I returned home, I did a rigorous inspection of my very person, to ensure no ticks were strolling over it, remembering the passenger I had brought home from last year's coastal visit... Anyhow, enjoy the pictures! |
| This blog was started up precisely five years ago, when I was living with my grandmother Ines in Santiago. It was a great, memorable time, and I needed a way to keep in touch with family and friends. Time goes by quickly, and I'm glad to have made a record of some of the things that have happened. The blog is still going strong! Make sure to stop by often, or subscribe to the RSS feed (at the bottom of the page). Now, you may also give your reaction to the posts with a single click, just below. So easy. Keep those reactions coming! All the best from me.  |
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| From Kungligt Bröllop |
| Together with Jessica, Johannes and Clara, I went to see the celebrations of the marriage between Crown Princess Viktoria and Mr Daniel Westling, now Prince Daniel. The city centre was completely possessed by the event, but in an unconcerned way. Apart from admiring the naval ships, we visited an exhibition with pictures by Annie Leibovitz. | Eventually, we found our spot from where to peek at the betrothed; from the quay in Gamla Stan. It was the perfect place. From the 21 round salute fired from a painfully short distance, the beautiful couple in their rowboat, to the formation of 18 Swedish fighter jets passing overhead, we were all smiling, knowing we had witnessed a scene to remember. |
| Yesterday I spent a few hours by the lake Trehörningen together with Hele, Vanda, Jessica, Clara and Johannes. It is a nice place to visit on days with so-so weather, when it is not overrun by sun-bathers. Update: Clara posted some great pictures - here! |
| After many months of persistent cold weather, spring has conquered our land. A change that softens our joints and invites to new, fresh perspectives. This is also the case for yesterday's concert, where I played and sung with Pian' e Forte and Uppsala Kammarkör. It was the first time for me in the new Concert Hall. | I was impressed by the versatility of the small auditorium, Sal B, where a subtle artificial reverb filled in and enriched the choral sound. I now appreciate the challenge in playing the drum and singing at the same time. The singing comes out quite well, but the drum sounds rather randomly... Hopefully, it amused someone! |
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| From Uppsala Tågstation |
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| From Solosång och Piano |
| A few pictures taken past Friday, when my course in "Solo singing and Piano" gave a lunch concert. The theme was "Songs of the Heart" and the repertoire ranged from Alessandro Grandi to Robert Quilter. Just a minute before we were going to begin our programme, I managed to steal these snapshots of my dear class mates. Seize the opportunity! |
