Tache-tastic

Well, well. It's that time again, folks - the period when it suddenly becomes acceptable to sport an otherwise antisocial amount of facial hair and all in the name of charity. Or at least to try, anyway. 'Movember' is fantastic. Not only is it embracing a trend some people have shunned - (myself included, in the past: I'm all for that rugged look, but scratchy lower-face hair is often uncomfortable for the wearer, and, in my case, the 'kissee') - but it encourages styling and grooming alongside, resulting in less hobo more handlebar. And to top it all off, it's helping others. WIN. 

The styles adopted vary from person to person (according to their ability to sprout facial hair and the effort they put into maintenance thereof), but sadly it is not a trend that has caught on yet here on the [European] continent. I did glimpse a chap with a terrific wizard beard on the metro yesterday, to which I would doff my invisible hat time and time again... not sure if he was slightly odd and with semi-secret Merlin-esque tendencies, getting some serious preparation in for 'Decembeard', or just a legend. Either way, bravo, sir! 

Having seen some pretty impressive moustachery in my time, including a wonderful handlebar on a jazz musician that must have taken a great deal of time and effort to nurture (again, I salute you!), I am most pleased that the humble moustache has made the leap back to its former self as an iconic symbol: from once being a historic badge of status and power, it crept further and further away to the realms of society's outskirts, but is now re-emerging triumphant. The fact that it in doing so it is providing some benefit to others is simply marvellous.

Sure, I'm still not desperately inclined to get up close and personal with any myself, and I'd rather the clean-shaven, or ideally, slightly rough shadowy look on a man, but that said, I bow down with utmost respect for this art form of charitable male grooming. 

I only ask that we not stray too far past this current stage. Any more face-hair-related months would be overkill. And, quite frankly, the thought of 'Septembrows' is disturbing to say the least... 

The Witching Hour

Isn't there something wonderful in being up and about in the early morning hours (sans drunken stupor of course)?! Alright, so I suppose I'm referring more to the state of already being up at that time, either at the end of a night or for some ulterior purpose, say during a journey, or to stargaze, or some other such motive, rather than the act of having to get up early-bird style for work... The latter in itself is, I concede, a chore, but once up there's nothing to stop you making the most of things and appreciating the dawn. 
At this hour, country-dwellers are blessed with an infinite of stars to behold, whilst their urban compatriots have the surreal wonders of a sleeping city. The eerie calm that steals across the land for those precious few hours around 3am (or 5am if we're on the continent) turns the working world into a hazy memory, a mirage in the distance of "tomorrow"...

And seemingly anything becomes possible in the twilight. We are more daring: despite our minds' increased sense of paranoia, insisting on offering any and every danger as a what-happens-next scenario, we brave the night and journey on. We dare to dream: what the future has in store for us what we might like to do, given the chance, who we might be with for each of the above... We are more prone to ponder life's great questions - and what's more, we're like to find clarification at this tranquil hour over most others without their busy frenzy of distractions. It is a time for thought, for musing, for gazing and seeking, and, hopefully, finding. 

Gradually, the sun begins to peep over the horizon, and so either we head to bed to rest our weary heads, or we face the day ahead with that edge of perspective that only one who's seen the day's sunrise can have (be it of clarity and wisdom, or merely a smugness and entitlement to gripe for having been up the longest... either way). Evidently this idea does not hold the same romantic charm on a rainy day, so far be it from me to oblige philosophical wanderings during a 4am downpour. No siree. But what I'm saying is that if or when you do find yourself in the limbo that lies in wait between dusk and dawn, use the surreality to gain perspective over your own affairs, appreciate the certainty of the sun breaking into a new day, make your decisions and resolutions and then go out and stick to them. 

The morals of this story are: 
Live well the day you're given, and love what you're living. 
If you don't like it, change it, and if you don't change it, like it! 

So I say thank you for the music

On a run around the park last week, I reached the point where I just wanted to give up. Despite the encroaching winter, the sun was hot on my face, and my feet decided that they quite simply had had enough. End of. And thus I ground to a halt. It was only when skipping aimlessly through songs and a feel-good tune suddenly came on that I realised I could in fact continue and finish my run (and thank goodness for that!) so on I slogged and made it back home in one piece. 

Today I therefore want to pay homage to the miracle that is music. 

It is an art form unlike any other, as it flits between visual and aural, across many media, it varies from place to place yet it is found in each and every pocket of the world. It can be created with nothing or with a whole host of instruments, technologies, or anything at all really... Even with lyrics it can be understood through the sentiment of the notes themselves - yet the very same notes in a different order, rhythm, or speed might belay an entirely different feeling. And no matter how much music is composed, it seems that day in, day out, there is so much more just waiting to be discovered.  

One of the things I find most intriguing about music is its ability to shift moods. Just one song can completely turn your day around - if you're feeling a bit down because things aren't going your way, a long-forgotten favourite can put a smile back on your face and brighten up the afternoon, for example. But more than that, just a few notes put together a certain way can evoke such deep feelings as to bring a tear, a smile, a tug of the heartstrings... Furthermore, it is used to heighten the emotions of film - if you imagine watching Jaws without that soundtrack of suspense and horror but with some pan pipes or 90s pop or country music instead, do you think gripping terror would still reign? Somehow I doubt it... Similarly if it were not Hans Zimmer's emotive soundtrack over the concluding scenes of Gladiator but the dulcit tones (and here I use the term with just a smidgeon of irony) of Justin Bieber or Miley Cyrus, for example, I think there'd be a good chance of rating turning to slating. Or not - whatever floats your boat.
But the overall message is that when you're a bit low, you can always use music to help lift your spirits. And when you're happy, well it just makes things even sweeter! For me, it's all about soundtracking life. I love to put some music on when cooking and travelling, and it helps keep me sunny-side-up. Dancing round the kitchen, spatula in hand, blasting out some 80s classics, or doing the washing up and humming along to some acoustic chillout... Club beats are best kept for prepping for nights out, whilst classical music works well as a background for dinners or whilst working. Big band jazz or poppy 50s/60s is great to bop along to during the household chores, and 90s music is always good. Have a dabble, try out some new bands, see what works for you... maybe you'll make some discoveries or rediscoveries along the way! 

Music is also an immense vessel for memory. Emotions flow through it in the present, certainly, and can inspire such profound feelings at the time of listening, but a melody can also hark back to times gone by, and elicit the sentiment felt at the time, either from the listener or from the subject of the piece. You don't have to have lived the events or situations described by the music to relate to the emotions behind it, and that's what makes it so powerful. What's more, it can be months, years, decades, centuries even before the song is heard again and it can still have the same capacity for inspiration. And, I suppose, linked to this is the fact that a musical moment or a particular song can trigger memories from your own past, emotions relating to people, certain times of your life, even down to very moments themselves... And no matter where we hear the song or what we are doing, for a fleeting second we are transported back to that other point and for better or worse we recall what passed and relive it once more. Magic. 

And one of the best things about music is its ability to connect people. No matter who you are or what your musical taste, there's always going to be someone who shares your opinions and someone else who doesn't - but that's the beauty of it. It can create surprising unions and break down barriers like nothing else - and now more than ever there are so many varieties and fusions that it's impossible not to like something accessible... Yes, there are still and probably will always be particular genres and groups adhering to the stereotypes thereof, but they aren't limiting. Obviously you can decide for yourself to stay within a particular area of music, and that's fine - it's good to know what you like and enjoy it. Maybe you even play music yourself, so you have something in common with others who do the same. Playing an instrument or singing or even recording your own digital music is a great way of meeting new people and making new friends, I heartily condone it! It's passion in itself to express yourself through a musical form, such that it probably brings you closer than most if you connect to someone else through that music. 
But the point is that no-one can govern your music tastes, you're free to make your own choices, and there's just so much to choose from that you can have all your cakes and eat them too! You shape your own musical life, and right down to a day-to-day or even minute-to-mintue basis - all you have to do is just change your tune... 

The bottom line is: if music be the food of love, play on! 

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck... it wants to be a duck, so let it be a duck!

This one goes out to all the wannabes out there... 
I, for one, am currently doing my utmost to blend in with the locals here in Spain. This is no mean feat, as despite my best efforts, my frequent butchering of the language and quite blatant lack of natural 'latin' attitude soon become painstakingly apparent. Which serves to render me all the more flustered and I this commit even more crimes against the Spanish tongue. (Mierda.)
Yet all is not lost, as fortunately there are still those who will take pity on a bumbling Brit and relish the chance either to practice whatever English they've picked up along the way or at the very least give zealous correction of the many linguistic errors made. 
The ultimate triumph for me, however, did not come in sophisticated conversation with a handsome stranger (alas!), nor bantering with the locals in the bar, nor even in finally achieving the blissful art of the siesta, but in being able to understand and be understood by a three-year-old (well, for the most part anyway). The awesome ramblings of a Spanish toddler - or one of any other nationality, as it happens - are difficult enough to comprehend with a language in common. So imagine my delight when I found that I had substantially mastered this second language to follow (again, most of) his chatter, and thus try to answer his inspired questions - with a lack of response on my part hereby indicating the difficulty of providing an adequate answer to a child's inquisition rather than linguistic fault for once. 
I would therefore like to impress upon you, dear reader, that should there be something you'd like to do, somewhere you'd like to go, or more importantly, someone you'd like to be, and you have the opportunity to put it into practice, then go for it! Take that chance, try your hardest, and enjoy it while you do. If it's within the realms of your human capability (and is not harmful to others) then you should make every effort to realise your dreams, for, as they say, life doesn't have a dress rehearsal... This is it. Feel it, believe it, love it, eat it, think it, see it, be it, do it while you can. And take a few moments each day to enjoy what you're feeling, believing, loving, eating, thinking, seeing, being, doing, as who knows if or when it'll happen that way again! It's all very well and good planning for the future or reflecting on the past, but if we spend all our minutes thus occupied we'll forget to actually live life itself... Once again, I find myself coming back to repeat my mantra, but here it is anyway: carpe diem. Be yourself, as nobody else will do it for you. (Unless your name is Elvis Presley, in which case I think there are a few people who'd like to have a word...) Go out and live your life the way you'd like to live it, and make the most of what you've got and what comes your way. Work hard, play hard, live hard. And don't forget to smile! 

A tale of two cities...

Of all the gin joints in all the world... Actually, all the gin joints currently seem to be in Madrid. It's the latest thing, apparently. (I suppose they feel they've been missing out on good ole G+T and want to make up for lost time - and hats off to that!) But that's another story. The tale I wish to tell is that of global citizenship. People across the world still love and care for one another, there's no doubt about it. And despite our differences, it's always possible to make new friends in the strangers you come across, even in far-off lands, as they accept you into their lives. With some, it's down to a mild interest in your differences and similarities. For others, it means welcoming you into their homes and families with open arms. Either way (or anywhere in between) it's apparent that life is too short to keep our distance, we have to make the most of whatever and whoever comes our way, and if that means being a bit more open to life's passers-by then so be it (within the limits of personal security, naturally). You will, I'm sure, be familiar with the ditty 'if life gives you lemons [insert positive turnaround here]' - well I'm saying 'if life gives you new friends, share your lemonade/tequila slammers/[lemon-based product] with them and enjoy the heck out of it all... 'Do unto others' would be another way of putting it - if you'd want you and yours to be accepted and treated well when in a new place, then make sure to do the same within your own realm. 

But on a lighter note, my current blithe musings are as follows: it seems that no matter where you go in the world (potentially with the exception of that as-yet uninhabited corner of deepest darkest peru, naturally), there are people patterns - there are incredibly similar habits and the same set of residents repeated in every city. 
Take, for example, the subterranean train system. In it, you'll find the one listening to music, the one napping, the one reading (quite often a girl worryingly absorbed in the latest trashy fad novel), the one with small children and sometimes the one who dares engage these tots in play (great fun wind the little mites up and leave them in the ever-capable hands of their parents. Win!), the one playing with their phone, the foreigner, the ones overdressed, underdressed, dressed in quite frankly bizarre concoctions of outfit... And with frequent use, you'll inevitably end up crammed in like sardines one day, and breathing free and easy the next. Go figure. But that's by the bye. The folks within are effectively still one and the same, just with a handful of new names, and a different way of talking. 

So the next time you're out and about in a new place, be it, or not, your own country, take a sneaky glance at the people around you (and here I mean subtly as opposed to furtively, we are not trying to be creepy nor appear to dabble in espionage) and just see if you can see your friends/family/colleagues reflected in the faces of those you come across. Perhaps one day, you'll even meet yourself... who knows? 

And this season, it's all about maroon.

I'm excited. In the not-too-distant future I will be moving abroad (life win!) and starting a new job, and I just can't wait. The thrill of the unknown combines with the prospect of starting afresh, being able to recolour my life any which way I please, sparking a shiver of anticipation at the thought... Giddy ideas ensue. What to do? Where to explore? Who to meet? What to buy, eat, drink, watch, hear, see? How to feel? 

Going away to a new place always presents challenges and opportunities galore. Clearly, some element of planning is necessary to ensure a safe transition, yet the most fun is to be had in discovering the hidden gems that only its residents would know about, and meeting a local character or two. Certainly, I'm going to miss my old haunts and my day-to-day people - friends, family, familiar faces - but it'll be wonderful to find some new ones.

And (packing for) all this change nicely coincides with the gear of the 'new season' arriving in shops across the city. September's colours and heavier cloths remind us that autumn and then winter are on their way, that we should be thinking about the things to come, wrapping up warm, opting for scarves instead of shades. I'm not going to go down the Christmas route as I'm in favour of getting excited for that when the time is right (December, and not before!) - but there are always things to brighten up the post-summer darkening. For those with late-year birthdays, result! It's nearly your turn. For those without, there's always fireworks season, the joys of mulling (a warm cider or wine is always a fine treat on a nippy day), the colour of the canopies ready to drop, and subsequent crispy foliage ready and waiting to be stomped in or thrown about, the absolute joy that is a snow day (need I say more?), being able to justify hot chocolate to warm the cockles from the cold, a blazing fireside or candelit window, curling up in a blanket with a good book, even just giving the long-forgotten winter coat a new lease of life... Bring it, winter. We're ready and waiting.

Giving something back. Quid pro bono?

’Tis the season to be generous, fa la la la... Actually, I’m a firm believer of giving what you can when you can, and that charity comes around full circle. ‘Do unto others...,’ yadda yadda.
Following the ‘Yes Man’ philosophy can certainly have its drawbacks – in terms of time and location constraints, let alone financially speaking! – but it does come with a sense of liberation. The knowledge that you may have helped someone or brightened up their day even the tiniest bit is soul-soothing indeed. You may well say ‘but I simply do not have the time, the patience, the energy!’ – but it is not about giving so much of yourself away that barely anything remains for you and yours. Generosity is shown in wishing someone a nice day (and meaning it!), in sharing a smile with a stranger (okay, not the creepy ones, but you get the gist), in donating leftover change, in waiting the extra second to hold the door for someone, in offering assistance or advice to the person in a pickle...
And no matter how full your plate, trust me, it is always worth saying yes if you do have the option to help someone out: this summer I ended up agreeing to four entirely separate projects scattered about the country (only the first of which was reimbursed). Upon realising what lay in store, my initial reaction went something along the lines of 'oh. dear. what have I done...' and I was regretting the quagmire of volunteer-based efforts to be required over the subsequent weeks. Yet I was rewarded with irreplacable experiences each and every time - definitely worth the slog!

For me, though, it's all about saying the unspoken thank yous, repaying the kindness shown over the years, both to you individually and to your world in general. It's about respecting the world we live in and all its people, and it's about looking out for those to come. It's about setting the best example possible for generations to come, and doing our best with what we've got. But this is starting to sound frightfully hippie, so let's just say we'll do what we can, and enjoy it regardless.