Restless people

I guess I need to go and buy a hyper-waterproof mascara - after reading all the birthday wishes, greetings, cards, this seems to be a proper thing to do, to be prepared for tomorrow's Hungarian folk music and dance party with Barozda, where the violin and the other strings touch right the very bottom of one's heart...  (If you are around Stockholm, here is the info and I'll be more than happy to see you there!)

This is what I had: Budapest pastry/cake - a Swedish yummyness 

So today is the day when I became - as a dear friend put it - one more year, more beautiful :-))

And indeed, I feel so: one more year more active, creative, happy, free... Now when I am over 40, I can see much more opportunities, goals and purposes in life and ways to achieve them, I have much more creative ideas, than when I was, say, 20. Free to create my life the way I want it, free to plan and do things that I want to do and not somebody else says I should. (Of course I have difficulties and problems, but they are simply there so that I have something to overcome :-) 

Isn't that strange? That's not the way it is supposed to be, because "everybody knows" that the older one gets, the more the bright dreams of young years fade into a distant, intangible fog, the more one's ability to learn new things decrease, the more one is supposed to sink into a comfortable, safe, decent, established, no-more-risk and no-more-adventure life, where one sees the things he once wanted to do, more and more as a nostalgic picture to sigh about...

The most sure way to kill a person is to make nothing out of his hopes, dreams and purposes. The father telling his kid that he needs to get a normal job, instead of encouraging him to make music or paint which he loves so much and he has a great talent for it, is destroying the life of his own offspring. The teacher who tells the student that it's alright Julie darling, you don't need to sing with the others, with such a voice, or okay Willie, with such a body structure, you can never make it into the local hockey team, but it's alright, not everybody can be a sporstman, is killing the child he is supposed to guide on his way.

These people are either not your friends and have bad intentions, either they really mean good to you, but simply don't know any better.

Short time ago, I went to the governmental artist agency here in Sweden, they are supposed to help artists to find jobs. Having performed 30 years on stages of  Europe, with a thick press book with me, I was not qualified as an artist, because I haven't got the papers of formal music education... You won't believe what the lady said to me: that I should find a job in a theater, behind the stage, like a dresser or something, because then I could be closer to my dreams...  

Closer to my dreams... oh yeah... And what about your dreams, Mam??? Maybe I should have asked her...

There are some restless people who just can't sit on their butts, but more or less constantly strive and go after their dreams: artists of all kind who form the shape of the future for Mankind with their visions, inventors, researchers and businessmen who are driven by finding efficient solutions and delivering better and more products, those who are keen to learn and share their knowledge with others, those who are on the quest of making this world better for themselves, their families, friends and everybody else in the human race, in their homes, at their work places, hobby groups or volunteer organizations, those who are thinking in constructive ideas and resolutions that are the best for all concerned, those who make their ways toward an eternal, total spiritual freedom and help others, too - these people will not spend hours a day in front of the tv, they will not give up easily when told: "No, you can't do that!", "You are not supposed to do that", "You are too (old, young, ...... insert word here) for that", "I will tell you, because I am the expert", "You better do what we say, or else"...

These restless folks just won't listen, they keep going their way.

If you recognize yourself as one of these, we are closely or remotely related with each other in some way, even if we have never met. Thank you for being around and for what you do, keep on going, and now on my birthday, I wish to spend my greatest year with you!

Love, Andrea

ps: I already had a birthday wish and I am a little bit behind with posting the songs, sorry for that! Thank you though for those who are playing it with me, and I am glad that you like the songs!

Also in Andrea's Blog

It's Not Too Late - again

Life has its happenings, good and bad, happy news, sad news. Whereas two of my Facebook friends got married on the birthday of a third one, next day a dear MySpace friend's daughter passed away suddenly and unexpectedly, on New Year's Eve.

I can imagine that the deepest sadness can be losing one's child - I remember my Grandma and the New Year's Eve I spent with her, right after the funeral of one of his beloved sons...

And I have seen the birth certificate of my big sister, her name was Dead-Born Gerák...

I am not in the age yet when my friends should leave this world, but some of them already did, and I wrote these words to them (in 2006, published here)

IT'S NOT TOO LATE

You've gone away -
When will I see you?
Where will I find you?
Now that you are far away.
Tell me that it's not too late.

I might have hurt you,
I might have not taken good care of you,
I might have not given you
Everything I've meant to.
But tell me that it's not too late.

I remember when we talked,
I remember when we laughed,
I remember when we sang,
As two very good friends.
Tell me that it's not too late.

I was on my way,
You were on your way,
Sometimes worlds apart
But always in my heart.
Tell me that it's not too late.

When you'll come back
I will be the happiest
To embrace you on my chest
'Cause you are the best.
And I know it's not too late.

Many people believe that when a person passes away, only the body dies but the spirit lives on (and many people know this as actual fact, proven by various phenomena which are real, tangible), as it is expressed very nicely in the Rorogwela song, a famous lullaby form the Solomon Islands, in which an orphan girl sings to her little brother about their parents:

"From the island of the dead,
Their spirit will continue to look after us"

Listen to song

If we can accept that our loved one who has died, only left the body but the spirit, the person continues on living, in some other way, our heart will be easier. 


It's Not Too Late by Andrea Gerak is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Hungary License

Also in Andrea's Blog

A lil' math

I got quite some responses to my new year's greeting, (like for example a lady whom I have met only once, 6 years ago, phoning me from Germany and offering her place to stay, if I am ever around that area...), and a few people (amongst my friend a professor of the Hungarian Academy of Science) suggested a little correction: that the new decade does not start with 2010 but with 2011.

Yes my friends, you are completely right! That's what I knew too, and I was a bit confused about seeing all the big fuzz in the media and advertisements, tv etc programs, summarizing the old decade and welcoming the new one, so just to be sure, I asked an expert: my son has high level mathemathics at a very good school, studying it in English, and doing alright (I think I can brag a bit :-))

And he sad: Mom, it's really simple: of course a new decade starts with year xxx1, but there is a common agreement about starting it now, because of the round number. Just think of it: it would have sounded weird to name year 2001 The Big Year, instead of 2000...

Yeah that's true: Y2K sounds cool, but how would it be with Y2K&1? Sounds strange, doesn't it?

And this is my guess: it is much easier to market top lists, top stories etc in the media and merchandise in shops with round figures than with more complicated ones, like 1981 or 2031, etc. Yep, money talks. 

So right, we did NOT start the new decade yet, just as a child does not begin the second decade of his life when he just filled 9...

Sorry, if I made anyone more confused about this, hope it's clear now...

And probably this was the only case when I ever followed the mainstream media :-))

Also in Andrea's Blog

(for a marriage)

Probably the nicest surprise of the year was to hear that two of my beautiful Facebook friends got married yesterday, so I am sending them this poem I wrote a few years ago, for another friend... and if you, dear Reader know about somebody around you getting married, feel free to greet them with these words:

(for a marriage)

The beat of my heart,
hope of my thought,
sound of my sigh,
spark of my eye,
all is yours, from now on.

Or, if I have headache,
if I make a mistake,
almost feel I can't,
and my duty is hard,
it's also yours, from now on.

But the stroke of my hand,
calm of my strength,
dream of my goal,
love of my soul,
all is yours, from now on.

- Andrea Gerak

(for a marriage) by Andrea Gerak is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Hungary License.

Also in Andrea's Blog

My birthday wish

So Christmas is over, New Year is here AND my birthday is coming, hurray!!

I was thinking about what would I like as a present, of course besides that I would love an aluminium MacBook Pro to replace my very old laptop which might die at any second, and a Caribbean cruise... And sure I have some other wishes, but this is what I can make public:

Did a little math and saw that it's a couple of more days till The Date (Jan 15, if you want to mark it in your calendar :-) And exactly as many days left as the number of tracks of my new album.

I figured: let's post one song a day, with as much info as I can, with lyrics, where are the songs from, etc; probably won't be able to make videos to them, though.

First was the last song of the album, Beli Buba, Beli yesterday, and today A pünkösdi rózsa (The Peony), I will post them in a random sequence, totally up to my caprice.

And let's see how many songs and albums will be downloaded, CDs sold in this period - I am really curious how people like this stuff and how many of my friends, fans and listeners will play with me this.

If you like the tunes, you can get them in various forms: MP3, AAC, FLIC, FLAC, FLUC and you name it, the full album download goes with some goodies, like concert videos, and you pay as musch as you want, the CD you get autographed - can it be a better deal?

And you help me to keep on singing, which is the possibly greatest gift I can get from you, and for which I will be very grateful.

So watch the updates in my places: website, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, Feed, etc.

And enjoy the songs :-)
-- Andrea

ps: and have an awesome New Year's party!!

Lonely Christmas, Lovely

Came home shortly from the city, pretty tired after a big photo walk, put things quickly in order (we left in a hurry, my son had to catch his flight to Budapest), lit a bunch of candles, put on a ring I haven't had for a good while and painted my nails bright red, just to feel more appropriate for the day, and drank up almost the half big bottle of Julmust (that's a Swedish Christmas special soda, somewhat similar to coke) - so this is Christmas...

My Christmas, on my own, after a long while.

I know many people feel sad this time of the year when they don't have anybody to share it with, or when these dates are connected to some very unpleasant memory, like losing someone dear - I could tell a couple of stories when I have seen people crying on the holy days... I heard yesterday but didn't check the correctness of the information, that in Stockholm alone 94 000 (ninety-four thousand!) men "celebrates" lonely, having no any family members and I don't remember the number of women.

Although I am in fact alone, I don't feel lonely for even a second. Called my parents and my godmother, was invited to two or three places with friends, met a few of them and I have sooooo many more friends to think of...

When I am so much connected with lots of people all year round, online and offline, sometimes it is even nice to have my own time, and this Christmas Eve is such a rare occasion. 

As I didn't even have time to send out a lot of season greetings yet and a newsletter is really due, not to mention uploading all the songs of my new album This Way, Sweetheart! to my sites with all the info, lyrics and etcetera (everything double: in English AND in Hungarian), I was thinking to write some nice thoughts here.

Two things popped into my mind: one is the gratitude I feel for all those people who are around me and support me in any ways, I can't list all the forms of support: practical things when I need help with something (and these last couple of months have been really probing for me), a smile, an encouraging comment, a following on Twitter etc, being my friend on my countless networks, and so on, and so on, these all count and make me stronger, so that I can give them and to others even more beautiful songs, pictures and other creations.

So please know that if you are in any of these ways connected to me, you were and are contributing at least a tiny little bit to my singing and all other artistic manifestations. And I am very thankful for that, and at these moments I am sending very nice vibes to all my friends, fans, listeners, readers, followers, fellow artists, business contacts and you name it, tons of love to you!!!

I stop here for a moment and think after it: even those very few people in the world I know about that they are my enemies, are helping me to move forward, they do. For they give me a chance to look and see how have I caused that they became enemies from friends and if I have to correct something, I am willing to do that. Which makes me a better and stronger person, hopefully, so thank you boys and girls! :-)

Also, the reasons why I liked them in the first place (which only grew as I knew more about them, obviously, because more communication and more common realities inevitably bring about more affinity between people), the reasons are still there: I still admire certain attributes, abilities or works of them. Although as not being friends any more, we don't do anything together, but that (and whatever they have done to me) doesn't give me a reason to "un-love" them.

And if I flow love and admiration even toward those people I shouldn't bother about, I reckon their attitude towards me can't harm me. And it just feels good; the more love one feels towards others, the better one is doing, isn't it so? Thank you again, for giving me a reason to feel more love.

I think this is how my personal Christmas rambling should conclude:  
May The Power Of Love Be With You 

Love-ly Christmas everyone!

- Andrea

ps. in the meantime, had a nice piece of chocolate and a Chai tea, maybe not typical for this day, but was it  delicious! :-))




Also in Andrea's Blog which is my new main blog

A poem in Arabic

One of my Facebook friends Munir Mezyed Palestinian poet (please go and say hello to him) translated a poem of mine into Arabic, and chose a portrait َas an illustration. Voila!


جمال العالمِ

الشاعرة الهنغارية : أندريا جيراك

ترجمة : منير مزيد


انظرْ حولك
سَتَرى كُلّ جمال العالمِ
نظرة الولد الشقية
الومضات البرونزية في شَعر الفتاة
رأس أمِّكَ الفضّي
عيون ....سماء لا يُمكنُ أَنْ تَكُونَ بهذه الزرقة
برد بلوري ليوم شتوي
حجر مكسو بالطحلب في جدار القرونِ
الأقدام المخملية للأطفال الرُضَّع
ِالأحذية الحريرية الراقصة
سلطة مِن سبع ألوان
ابتسامة الخوخ المثيرة
أنين الأشجارِ الصغيرةِ
الساعة القديمة على ذلك البرجِ
حتى القطار( الترام ) الأحمر السريع
مطعمكَ المفضّل
أَو فنجان قهوة جديد
كعكة الزنجبيلِ بالقرفة
الشموع المضاءة
البرق القوي
المتزلجون المنتشرون في أرجاء البلدة
أغاني تصدح من الجيتار
صور في البوم
هَلّ يمكنك أَنْ تَرى هذا ؟
يَجيءُ منك كُلّ جمال العالمِ

And the original:

BEAUTY OF THE WORLD

Just look around
and you will see
all the beauty of the world:
A little boy's mischievous glance,
bronze flashes in a girl's hair,
silver head of your mother,
eyes -- sky can't be that blue,
a winter day's crystal cold,
moss-grown stone in a wall of centuries,
velvet feet of little babies,
silk dancing shoes,
salad of seven colors,
tempting smile of a peach,
sigh of young trees,
old clock on that tower,
even a fast, red tram,
your favorite restaurant
or newest coffee cup,
ginger-cinnamon cake,
glowing candles,
powerful lightning,
skaters through the town,
songs from a guitar,
photos of a calendar, --

Can you see this?
It comes from you,
all the beauty of the world.

-- Andrea Gerak

(published here, on my last birthday)

Have a beautiful weekend everyone!