Friday, March 19, 2010

Watsu / water shiatsu / water work

When I was living in Alter do chao in the amazonian part of Brazil, I became good friend with one english guy named mark.
Mark was 12 year older than me and also born in the year of the monkey ( chinese astrologi)
He had been doing massages , diffrent ways of healing, and one of them was called Watsu.
Watsu or water shiatsu or a combination of ways of moving an other person in the water.
The first session was just a short introduction. He always support the head and the neck with one arm or hand.
Then he moved me,pushed me around , pulled me. Since the human body is about 70% water it is quite flexible. The whole session felt very relaxing. He did some good stretches and bends. Breathing slowly in with my nose and out with my mouth. He also moves him self around in the water while moving me.
He told me after we where done , that my mucsel pressentage was much more than fat, and because of this I sunk, and he had some minor difficulties keeping the body up by the surface.

Very keen on continuing this work I went the day after and bought nose plug and some foaters. ( something infloateble the one normaly would put around a young childs arm when he or she starts to learn to swim )
The session two. I was preparred that this one would start above water like the last one, then he would give me the nose plug , I would put it on and take a deep breath and the he would move me under water.

I will admit being under water is not my strongest side, but with the nose plug and in th arm of my trusted friend I felt good. The movement under water felt amazing, he did much more and the sensation was of stillness and peace. totalmente calmeness. I often though I was water, sometimes air. felt fluient and flowing, felt like waves. Got over my anxiousness of being under water and not having enough air.
I was able to held my breath more and more. And as I did so mark started to keep me under water longer time.
I played with my breath. realized that when the last air bubble is blown out, and the mind think ( now I need to breath in) then it can actually be so peacefull, not at all with panic. I was able to be there fairly long at this stage. Relaxed, and just waiting till I got up to then breath in long and soft again. All with my mouth of course since I had a nose plug on.
At some point I wsa on the surface and mark gently took of my nose plug. We did some few more movement before he pulled me to where it was shallow and pushed my legs and hips down so I could sit on the sand.
AAAAHHHHHHH!!! Felt so relaxed and calm, in mind, like a long good meditation. Saw things more clearwith my eyes.
The sun was now almost down. And darkness coming. I sat there for a while , before going up.

Next day session three. This time in the middle of the day, sunny. It was very nice everytime I came to the surface this time, with closed eyes, I could see everything orange and yellow, shades of light red and dark orange furthest away from the sun, then as I took the long deep breath before being turned down into water colors became blue and green whill being upside down.

Mark felt the relaxedness in me and we both notised how I could hold my breath very long now, just letting out slowly but certain one by one small air bubble. Holding it, keeping the air with this calm and stillness.
Sometimes things felt funny, in a good way. Had to laugh a little when I came to the surface. Mark both push, pulls, shakes and moves me, sometimes holding me hands, sometimes the feets. hips, legs or body.
I had many thoughs about healing.
How Hugs, nice words, smiles, love, massage and sone terapi is healing. I thought I should become a healer, since I have hands that heals, and the ability to give good massages. And a mind caring for others and wanting to help them.

We later on two more occations had sessions, Mark and I. I learned from this ancient asian art and tradition that it is important to be fluent and going with the flow, no resist, not be stiff, but soft and moving.

Mark who had been doing this proffetionally for many years , but not so much recently got very inspired and said to me he wanted to continue doing this when he got back to europa. I hope to see my friend there some day and continue our practise and healing.
thank you mark!!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

En gjestfri start paa det nye aaret

En fyr hadde anbefalt Adhara og meg et sted aa campe 31.12.2009. Vi befant oss nord i Venezuela og hadde blitt kjent med han og hans kjaereste noen dager tidligere. De hadde aapnet sitt hjem for oss og vi tilbrakte en natt der. Siden kjoerte de oss til en strand og slapp oss av der. Solen var i ferd med aa gaa ned, og vi trasket bort over vaat sand med vaare sekker og poser med mat og proviant. Stranden var ganske oede og det var ingen traer, egnet til aa henge opp koeyene vaare. Stedet i seg selv ga ikke saa mye foelelser, hverken gode eller daarlige.
En fyr kom ut av en bak doer, og jeg slo an en prat med han og surte om stedet var trygt, og litt forskjellige raad. Han sa at denne stranden nok ikke var den beste eller tryggeste aa campe paa, men at en kort taxi tur unna var et bedre egnet sted. Men en gloedende roed full maane kom opp over horisonten, ringte den unge fyren til sin far, som var taxi sjaafoer. Maanen ble gul siden hvit, og saa ut som den var naer og stor ut.
fyren som het Feybel og vi hadde en god prat. Om Venezuela og Brazil og andre ting. Saa kom faren og vi kjoerte fem ti minutter, til en annen strand. den var lengre, bredere, hadde traer og tilgang til en bodega/kiosk med kalde oel og snaks. Stedet foeltes trygt og vi slo leir. Feybel dro, men sa at vi kunne ringe han dagen der paa og finne paa noe sammen, om vi ville.. Det ble en tidlig, stille,varm og anderledes feiring av ny aar.
Kun noen faa raketter a se og hoere. Vi vaaknet tidlig neste morgen, saa full maanen gaa ned en horisont og solen staa opp en annen.

Saa var et helt aar ferdig og et nytt sto klart med al slags muligheter. Vi startet med sex paa stranda, pakket sakene og tok en taxi til buss terminalen. Vi hadde et oenske om aa komme oss ut mot noen karibiske oeyer. Og veien gikk via et punkt paa kysten hvor baaten gikk fra. Det viste seg at ingen busser gikk den dagen. En gruppe taxi sjaafoerer sto klare og maste faelt om at vi skulle betale tre-fire ganger saa mye for aa kjoere oss dit vi ville. Jeg var ikke villig til aa bruke saa mye penger paa dette og klarte aa overtale Adhara til aa talmodig vente til neste dag. Vi bestemte oss for aa ringe Feybel. Han sa han kunne hente oss paa buss terminalen og at vi kunne komme til huset hans. Det hoertes bra ut!
Vi ble hentet, og kjoert til huset hans, jeg viste ikke hva jeg gikk ti, men er alltid aapen for aa moete nye folk.
¨Vil dere laane dusjen?? ¨var det foerste han spurte om.
¨skifte klaer og friske opp litt?!¨spurte han.
¨JA TAKK ! MUCHAS GRACIAS ! ¨Etter en dusj sa han at vi kunne godt sove i huset hans den natten om vi ville. ¨ja takk, hvis det ikke er til noe bry saa?!¨

Saa ble vi bedt til bords, fikk servert varm mat og fersk juice til lunch. Siden pratet vi en stund,
Vi pratet om hvordan det en gir og sender ut ogsaa kommer sterkere tilbake. Vi to hadde en ulik religioes tro/livssyns oppfattning, men samtidig veldig mange like meninger og syn paa ting.
jeg forklarte om spiritualitet, Buddhismens forstaaeer av Karma, og siden om Maya indianernes proffesier og m slutt paa tid, som paa ingen maate maa misfostaaes med slutt paa verden. Han sa at hans bibel ogsaa snakket omo dette og at han viste vi snart sto ovenfor en reneselse og massiv oppvaakning. Dette overrassket meg aa hoere.
sov vi en liten siesta. En kompis av Feybel kom og vi kjoerte en tur. De viste oss flere strender. Alle var stappfulle av folk og biler , da dette var fri dag for alle, og sola stekte

For meg som kommer fra kalde nord, saa det ganske digg ut aa fleske seg i det karibiske hav 01 januar noe jeg personlig aldir hadde forestilt meg at jeg skulle gjoere, siden jeg ar vant til mange minus grader denne dagen.

Vi stoppet et sted for aa kjoepe suppe. Den het viagra del mar, og inneholdt oesters, bleksprut armer, reker, sitron og sikkert mye mer. Det smakte faktisk ganske digg. Vi kjoerte litt mer rundt og stoppet paa en bodega/;kiosk hvor noen venner av Feybel jobbet.
Hoeylytte karibiske rytmer i et voldsomt tempo ble pumpet ut av en stereo. Jeg vil paa ingen maater paastaa at jeg vet hvordan man danser til slik musik, men foelte stemningen og sat i gang med aa riste paa hofter, rumper og bein. En blanding av gringo smaba og fleipete bevegelser, rytme og dans.
En gjeng gamlinger satt og drakk pils og ga meg stor aplaus. En bil stoppet og tre litt kraftige kvinner stirret paa meg med store oeyne der jeg sto med bar overkropp og solbleket haar. Saa spratt den ene etter den andre ut og begynte aa danse tett med meg. De ristet bra her og der de og.
Gjengen med de gamle, Adhara og Feybel fikk ganske lattis. ¨skal si den suppa funket bra ! sa jeg ¨
fleipete til Feybel.
Siden jeg har en helt annen frekvens og energi enn her i karibien saa dro jeg paa med litt break danse og avsluttet med aa spinne en runde pa en haand. Fikk mer aplaus, og saa kjoerte vi videre. Vi stoppet igjen for aa kjoepe en stor kokos shake. Feybel betalte alt.
Senere den kvelden fikk Adhara g jeg noen klaer.
Vi sov godt og flatt o vaaknet utvilte neste morgen. Etter frokost ble vi kjoert til et punkt hvor det gikk transport tilditt vi skulle videre. Der tok vi farvel og skilte vaare veier.

Jeg har opplevd mye vennlighet ut paa min vei som en reisende mann, mne en slik gjestfrihet fra fremmede har jeg faktisk opplevd tidligere. Det er jo ganske uvanlig fra slik jeg kjenner Norge, og skriver dette her til ettertanke til alle som skulle lese det.

Friday, November 27, 2009

First day working on circus Morongo

Circus Morongo


Kids I played with


Adhara and I in our costumes and makes up



Pratice makes master

















big crowd of excited young ones







Proud circus boy posing after show








I was invited to come with circus Morongo to a place called Belterra yesterday ( 26th november)
The occation was a company that works with mobil signals ( VIVO ) and Ericsson had put an atenna here. Since Saude e Alegria and Circus Morongo is famous they was brouth in to make show, give away some free phones, do some comercial , entertain and make the audience feel joyfull and happy.
The circus had practised on our rutines and shows, but everyone knewed that there was going to be a lot of waiting before it was our turn.

I went with a minivan from the office in Santarem to Belterra. And got there about four o clock in the afternoon. A circus tent was allready put up and people worked with sound and lights, amongst other preparations.
Some kids is doing acrobatics close by. I walk up to them, check them out a little, before I step up and show some break dance. Two young guys do various acrobatics, flips and stuff. I show some of the things I can do. I can not say who is the better of ous, because we do diffrent things. I could do something they could not, and opposite to. for my part the several rounds of flic-flac and backflip as one kid did, is cooler than me spinning on one hand and do side flip.
I told him to keep up the practise and become a master when he got older.

Later a bunch of younger kids wanted to play with a beachball our group had brought. I play with them for a while. For me this feels good, even thought it is still hours to the cirkus starts.
More and more of the sircus group comes, and when all is here we did one last practice before we put on costumes and make up. There are lots of people there and severall tv team, newreporters, and people dokumenting this event. Sererall People intervjued us, took photos and filmed
The clown makes many shows and more and more kids gather around.
My girl, our group and I is still waiting, while someone plays local music.
One kid comes up to me and ask what is my job.
Hehehe, ¨ I am ballerina ¨ I say in a joking way, and do some jumps sideways on one feet with the other one going out. Then do clownish pirrueit and jumps on the other feel back. The young one and all the other ones around laugh.
My girl and I Laugh also as I look kind of funny in this tight outfit and facepaint.
Later while the music still is going and the clowns do some activities for the kids, Adhara grab my hands and say¨lets go danse in the middle! ¨
The music is of a genre very typical from this region. My girlfriend have very good rythm and can sving her body very nice to this , me and my gringo feet have no clue how to move but do a my best (or worst) This makes all the kids laugh.
Then Adhara says lets do the hoolahoop. ( the hoolahoop is selfmade, just one stiff waterhoose, bent into a sircel and taped together, spraypainted by Adhara and me)
Hehehe, I remember how ridicilously I felt practising this the evening before, but are up for joking.
I go first so she being the good one can look even better after me.
I start to spinn it around my body, swinging and shaking, making it go round and round my body.
This made the kids laugh even harder. HEHEHE, but I did it better than ever before.
Ahara had made a big phonemodell og cardboard before this event. And the clowns now user this for one joke.
When it finally is our turn to do the show. ( the whole group, consisting of almost 20 persons of diffrent sizes, lengths, and nationalities) now with various customs and makeup, ready to do diffrent tricks and skills.
We for a line, but the place we are supposed to do show is now heavily overcrowded with kids and young ones. WE have to try many times to make them mover back. It dit not help to much, and in the end we just make the best out of it....
Chief clown reminds the importance of eyecontacts and big smiles.
Our rutine is happy, dansing, making funny bodymovements to livly music, tehn some clowns do something funny, then someone juggle with balls, or other things, I walk on my hand and jump from hands back to feets. Adhara spin her hoolahoop, we make some pyramids. Witch means to climb ub and stand on my shoulders, and go down and stand on my thighs leaning foreward, while I lean backwards. More do this next to each other, and together we make a pyramid.
Some one juggle, some one do clown, everyone smiles and dances happy together.
We hold hands and bow two times.
All in all alot of waiting for a very short moment of show. And on the smalest space of doing show the circus ever have seen.

Then in the end Adhara and I did fire danse. first her, the me, then together, then me again.
It was very nice to do this together!
Fire is heat and passion, and together we were hot.
Lots of applaus and sheering from the crowd when we finished.
And the day felt complete.
Adhara and I kissed each other, and the whole group congratulated each other for good job.
The highlight was one little girl came running up to us and gave first Adhara then I a hug.
That really warmed my heart.
Then we packed and drove home.

Back hoome in Alter we took a shower and went to the finest hotel here, where Ericsson had invited to a very nice dinner buffet.
As we ate delicious food, had good drink and dessert I realized something:

¨not every one has a day like this on their first day of circus ¨






















Projecto Saude e Alegria ( project Health and Happiness) And me

Yesterday (26th november) I had my first experience working on a cirkus.
Of course there is a story behind this.
My girl friends father have started a project called: Saude e Alegria = Health and happyniess.
It is a well know project that for many years have done very good things for this part of Amazonas. They have a circus . ( Mocorongo ), but it is an educational cirkus. They go around to many small river comunities with their boat ABARÈ. On board is proffetional doctors, dentist, people that work to improve the comunities, and the circus Mocorongo.
They teach the kids, youth, grown ups and elders about many things. Hygine, brushing teeths. prevantions, ( condoms ), to clean the drinking water with clorine, and much more.
I honestly do not know to much myself, but hear so many great things about this project from everyone I speak to.
They have made toilets, water cleaning stations, given some places radio and internet comunications.
In every single comunity they first have a counsil, discuss what is the problems there. Some one from Saude e Alegria try to find solutions. ( Because they also have many people working in a office in Santa Rem (closest city to where I live) The circus makes schools, for jugling, stilts, trapés, clowns and much much more. and also make jokes and educational shows about the problem that is relative in each place.
My girlfriend Adhara have been working with this project for a long time. I have been to the office several times, read information, met nice people and also used free internet.
She have went on a couple of trips while I have known her. something that has been very good for our relationship. Away from each other we have gotten the chance to miss each other, think and send good thoughts in both directions, being patience and looking foreward to see each other again.
Circus Morongo started having classes in Santa Rem, in a nice open space.
I went there last week, with the plan to just see, but sudenly I was in the middle of it.

It all comes very naturall. I am energic, happy, colorful person. with fairly strong and fleksible body. I love to joke and play. I still practise acrobatics and many people ( specially customers in my old work) have seen me more upside down, standing on one hand or walking on two, than normal. With interrest for break-danse and capoiera I ahve learned some cool tricks. And during travels in Asia I picked up fire dancing. Something I later worked with proffetionaly in China. As the foreign talent I have seen all parts of china clublife working for Carlsberg, Coors light, Chevas Regal and more, doing fire, breakdanse and more on stages for crowds.

And to work with the woman I love, her cool and funny group for the Children in Amazonas, is ALL GOOD TO ME. So here I am, Circus Boy. About to tell you all the story of my first performance and one cool day.

under is a link to projecto saude e alegria. All info in portugese but some nice photos

http://www.saudeealegria.org.com

Cine Por do Sol, ( sunset cinema )
















One of my friends ( Indios ) have a projector. He descided to do somehting nice for this place we live in. And aranged a public cinema. One square had a big with wall and after sunset friends and friends of friends gathered. first they played some educational movie for the children. ¨the man who planted trees¨ A beautifull story, where everything is drawed with pensils. Teaches teh value of planting istead of cutting down. Later we played a movie from Cirkus de Solei, The journey of man¨ This one is so beautifull. both costumes, story and balance and acrobatic skills of the people. The story is about : DREAMS, DESTINY and LOVE.

Very interesting, as I see this I realize that my dreams have come true, I found LOVE, she work proffetionaly with the art of cirkus, and we coming together , finding the one we have been praying for is our Destiny. Then because of here, I get the chance to join her circus group, and realize one of my dreams, to go out and share my joy and happyness, my art and eleganse. My powermowes and balance for children, helping them to discover dreams and destiny and all for LOVE.

And because Indios is such a cool and loving guy, he also brought instruments for the kids to play and practice, and while we other watched the films we was playing with many children. Going aound on his unicycle and making them chase him.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Creativity is Love, love is Art, this art is of love



My design on white caps. This was done before I found my girlfriend, originaly ment for sale, but now I fell this so much
I desided to wear it





Graffiti class. I showed my girl how the spraycan works, and we did something together, I made a red lazy but loving hippo, she made me, skinny boy with sun-bleached hair, in white t shirt, eating icecream








Flowers made with stensils for her.





How I see her, a free colorful Butturfly in Amazonia, making people who see her smile with her beautifull presence


Verdade is the portugese word for truth.
Here written over a sun. Sun symbolizes me and how I feel with my girlfriend: Shining.
Truth, because with her I only want to speak truth










Amor means Love in Portugese. I write love Because I am in love, I love her, I love to be creative, and here I combine the to, doing what I love for my love.

Luz means Light, My girl is LUZ, shining light, Luz adentro, means the internal light/ or light within, To me this symbolizes her, with all the good qualities and being a light spirit.
From the notes I make bubbles saying Alegria = Happines/Joy and Musica - Ritmo = Music and rythm. Life with her is joyfull, rythmic and filled with music
















Here is the whole wall






















Drawing made for her, A heart with light inside, wings, and angel glorie, inside a blue five pointed star. I put fire on left bottom, water on right bottom earth in bottom middle. All floating in the skyes , and going up through the rainbow to space. Five elements, and the three planets that effects our energys the most, Sun , up right, moon up left, and earth, down middle.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Cirkus Boy!!

Oh Happy days!! Today I went to see my girlfirend Adhara start a Cirkus school.
She have allready worked proffetional with this for long time. Me, have allways been an energic boy, full of life. Dansing, playing, joking, comes natural to me.
And my body have been flexible as long I can remember. When I was young I had a trampoline, A friend called me gymnastique fantastique.
Today the plan was only to look what going on at the school. But here there is no such thing as watching on the side line. Before I knew it I was part of it, making pyramids, dansing, smiling to an imaginary audience. Walking and jumping on my hands. Looks like I will be part of a show, somewhere someday!
I am very excited. This was a very cool and fun experience.