Month: November 2016

  • Once upon a Snowy November Day in Stockholm

    Once upon a Snowy November Day in Stockholm

    Our neighborhood got dressed in white earlier than usual this year. We woke up to the beautiful dance of snowflakes waltzing to join their fallen brethren upon the immaculate lands below. I felt happy, as if I knew that an amazing day was about to unfold. Maybe I read it in the snowfall. Winter’s white can hide more than just the colors below. What if snow found a way to hide time from us as well? Then perhaps voices from the future reading these words whispered loud enough for me to hear their echoes.

    My wife and I rely on buses to get to work. A quick weather forecast check combined with what we saw outside yielded the natural conclusion that we should work from home today. Crina, however, was quite determined to make the trip towards central Stockholm.

    She left the apartment at 8:40, hoping to catch either of the two buses that use separate routes to reach the city. I watched her from our window, a small figure wading through the snow together with our unborn 7-month old. The bus arrived in the station just seconds before she could see that part of the street. I cringed inside when I saw her trying to make a run for it only to soon realize she’ll have to wait for the next bus.

    While I was initially determined to stay at home, a combination of factors led me to do the opposite. I felt like on this day I should join her in Stockholm. There was also an important project meeting scheduled for the afternoon. Besides, snowing means “wonderful weather” in my book. Better experience it fully. So, I dressed as fast as I could and went out at around 9 o’clock.

    The number of people waiting in the station was not a good omen. It smelled like traffic chaos. It smelled like delays with a charming aroma of cancellations and a garnish of cursing the gray clouds that were sieving snow with relentless determination. I got on the bus anyway, knowing that at least I’ll be around friends and family sooner or later.

    Challenge accepted!
    Challenge accepted!

    The northbound motorway was looking surprisingly well, all things considered. Turns out my wife had taken the different route, through Sickla, a neighborhood situated immediately to the south-east of Stockholm. While I was making my way into the city from the south, she reported back that her bus was stuck somewhere between Sickla and our own town of Älta. I was far luckier, managing to get all the way to the metro station with less than ten minutes of delay. From there, I had no problems reaching work, where people were busy making sense of the election results over in the USA.

    One hour later, Crina was still stuck in the same bus. She was feeling quite entertained by the situation. It was hard not to, with the hypnotic dance of snowflakes promising cozy afternoons and sweet holidays. But after two hours of sitting in the same bus and advancing less than a kilometer, impatience started to gnaw its way through her armor of child-like winter enthusiasm.

    Hundreds of years after the ice age, aliens start finding these snowed-in buses
    Hundreds of years after the ice age, aliens start finding these snowed-in buses

    Meanwhile, I enjoyed a beautiful walk outside together two friends as we went to grab lunch at around 11:30. Stockholm was slowly but surely getting snowed in. I felt a bit guilty because despite the majority’s displeasure with the weather, my enthusiasm was growing at the same pace as the streets were becoming harder to navigate. We later found out that this had been the snowiest November day in 111 years.

    It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that my wife was stuck in the same bus when my mates and I got back at work. After almost three hours there, hunger and thirst became issues. As fate would have it, the bus had made it quite close to a major shopping center, so I advised her to bail on the attempt to reach the office and make her way to a restaurant until traffic resumes.

    Traffic didn’t resume. In fact, it got worse. Even the bus line I had used to get to work during the morning got cancelled. Having spent about an hour in a restaurant, Crina made an attempt to at least get back home. After waiting for 40 minutes in a station, she eventually managed to get on another bus. The vehicle managed to travel about two centimeters in half an hour. She went back to the Sickla shopping mall.

    All buses got cancelled. We were now officially stranded in Stockholm. And judging by the weather forecast, this wasn’t going to go away anytime soon, so I started planning for a way to get us home that didn’t involve rubber wheels. Suspecting my wife won’t enjoy going through this alone, I planned to go get her from Sickla using the metro and then jumping on a commuter train. The railroad seemed to cope quite well for now. It also presented an opportunity to get home by using the metro to reach a neighboring town. From there, there would be a 40 minutes’ walk to our home in Älta.

    Guess why the buses got cancelled...
    Guess why the buses got cancelled…

    I busted out of the office at around 15:45. The metro had some delays, but nothing cataclysmic. I managed to squeeze in the first one that arrived in the station. Rarely have I seen a Swedish metro packed to such a degree, but I wasn’t taking any chances waiting for the next one. Twenty minutes later I was back at Gullmarsplan, the train station and major commuter hub where I had been during the morning. I could already feel the confusion settling in among fellow travellers, as sure as the snow was burying their hopes of getting home in time for dinner.

    The commuter train between Gullmarsplan and Sickla had moderate delays, but I was lucky and there was one arriving at the platform just as I rushed down the stairs in my usual “controlled-crash” fashion. I knew we have a long way to get home, but instead of this dampening my enthusiasm, it enhanced it. Somehow, I felt it will all be fine, so I tuned my inner radio to the “romantic winter” frequency. And so, I headed into the black Nordic afternoon on board the commuter train, sliding through the snowflakes towards Sickla where Crina was waiting for me.

    I double-checked with a fellow traveler that the train’s end station was as close as possible to the Sickla shopping center, also telling her about my railroad-only plan to get home. She assured me that it was the best alternative to get to Älta given the weather outside. Then, with barely two stops to go, the train driver announced something in Swedish. It didn’t sound good.

    Given the poor state of my Swedish at the time, I asked another fellow traveler what the driver had said. The passenger wasn’t worried. The announcement had been about a mere 3 minutes delay ‘til departure due to another train being in the way. I didn’t trust the estimate, so I asked yet another traveler how far are we from the end station. Just a few hundred meters was the answer.

    The Swede who had translated the driver’s announcement for me said he overheard that I was going to Sickla. He offered to walk together with me to the shopping mall, saying he’s headed to a train station located nearby. Just like that, we both decided to leave the train and walk the rest of the way.

    We connected like two good friends that haven’t seen each other in a while. I learned he’s working in the same field as I do – information technology. It got better. He was a manager looking for work. As luck would have it, my employer was actually looking for managers at the time. He had heard about the company I worked for but still welcomed my insider information, namely that I was very happy there and working alongside some fantastic brothers and sisters.

    There we were, appreciating this beautiful black & white Swedish afternoon, talking about children and life in general while snowflakes were congregating on our clothes. Only when we parted did we bother to exchange worldly details. It was as if only then we realized that we’ve just met fifteen minutes earlier.

    As usual when out of the ordinary things happen, humans tend to become more social. I’m sure this adaptation has gotten our species out from more than one mess in the past. It’s even better when two people who are natural communicators meet, which I believe was the case on this day. Looking back, there was something more to it I think, a sort of compatibility that defies our current understanding of human interaction.

    People transformed what would have been a beautiful but solitaire work from home day into an inspirational exploration of human nature. I love it when the beautiful aspects of society hit me like that. We have a gift of uplifting energy that shines from every single one of us, at least as long as we open up and allow the light to find other open souls to illuminate.

    So, these two open guys that had traveled a short but meaningful time together said goodbye to each other. Anders went to catch his train and I dived straight for the shopping center where Crina was waiting for me.

    Even though we had seen each other just seven hours prior, the adventurous day made my heart tingle more than usual when I saw her curly hair flowing down her shoulders. She was sitting at a café. I approached from her left, winter dripping off my jacket. When she looked at me, I started to shake the snow that had found refuge in every crease of my clothes, as if to say “see babe? See what I went through to come and get you? I’m your hero!” The result was as expected and I got the kiss the knight in shiny armor deserves.

    After a quick pit stop, we headed back into the weather for the 20 minutes’ walk back to the commuter train that should then bring us back to Gullmarsplan. From there, the plan was to grab a metro to Skarpnäck – the closest town to our Älta. Above, the sky was taking its flock of clouds to other places. It stopped snowing about halfway to the train station.

    Meanwhile in central Stockholm
    Meanwhile in central Stockholm

    We missed the train with about 10 seconds. It left the platform exactly as we were stepping onto it. So, we waited. And waited. And waited. There were regular announcements about “delays due to weather”. After about 15 minutes, a rail snowplow showed up. The platform had filled up with quite a few travelers. Much to our simultaneous amusement and dismay, the snowplow got snowed in just as it was leaving the station. Two guys got out and, equipped with shovels, proceeded to salvage the snowplow. For reasons I would only understand at the end of the day, I wasn’t too worried.

    It took another quarter of an hour for a train to make its way into this end station at long last. By now, we had begun to feel the winter’s bite so we welcomed our way out. The crowd of weather-frustrated passengers rushed inside the warm cars, almost filling the train up.

    Meanwhile, all around us on every street, cars were so badly stuck it was difficult to even estimate how fast they were moving. One centimeter a minute seemed like an optimistic assessment. I felt quite sorry for the poor brethren, even more-so for those on urgent business. My wintry fairy tale weather might have been a hell for somebody trying to reach a hospital’s emergency ward.

    Back at Gullmarsplan, we went and got ourselves some nutrition from a Pressbyrån shop. Out of a sort of masochism, we checked to see if there’s any bus leaving towards Älta. There wasn’t any bus leaving towards anywhere. More than a few confused travellers were milling about the station. We descended to the rail platforms. We didn’t have to wait for too long. The metro was coping well with the weather, despite it having several stations on the surface, including this one. We boarded the train towards Skarpnäck.

    Four stations later, a dude wearing sunglasses entered the car, half walking half dancing to an unheard song. He zipped up his fly while groovin’ past our seats and exited through the door behind us. I heard a “clank” from behind me. Soon after, the metro signaled that the doors are closing and prepared for departure. But it didn’t move at all. I realized that the door behind us hadn’t closed. And we were doing so well…

    I got up and investigated the door. Couldn’t figure out what the dude had done to it. Another passenger revealed that the emergency brake had been pulled. Somebody went to get the driver. I stepped out and saw our prankster heading towards the end of the platform. He was completely “in the zone”, probably on some sort of stimulants.

    When the driver arrived, the dude had reached the end of the platform. He was dancing and not giving a damn about anything in this world. Even though I didn’t perceive him as violent, I warned the driver to not get adventurous. A good dance routine shouldn’t be disturbed by us mere mortals.

    With yet another hurdle in getting us home, I started to feel the “epic value” of this day going off the chart. We were lucky because the procedure to unblock the train was quite simple. The driver ordered us in. He then used the lever he was carrying to rotate the emergency brake knob back into its normal position. The doors closed. Five minutes later, we arrived at Skarpnäck at last.

    Outside the station, a woman was giving directions to those who were standing out as “not from around this part o’town”. This was easy to determine based on the level of confusion on people’s faces upon exiting the underground. Seeing the dazzled tourist in us, of course she tried to help. She also realized our Swedish wasn’t exactly good. We told her we’re heading to Älta. She pointed us in the right direction and advised us to have water and a bit of food for the trip home. What? Did she think we can’t manage a 40 minutes’ walk? She did, but Swedes are among the most well-planned and procedure-oriented people I know. At times like this, it is of tremendous help.

    As if to lend some strength to the woman’s advice, we made a mistake interpreting the GPS. We ended up in a deserted park, taking the long way around to the road towards Älta. Crina’s enthusiasm for the weather had been grinded down by the hours spent waiting in various places, but for me the adventure was in full swing.

    The park was the stuff of fairy tales. We left our footsteps upon its white silence. The trees were loaded with snow. It felt like we were walking through winter’s garden. It had been waiting there for us, undisturbed for many years. There was no sign whatsoever that this place had probably been quite busy just several hours ago. We realized we ought to be careful walking there when we stepped over a tree’s fallen branch that had snapped underneath its snowy burden.

    Soon enough, we rejoined the road to home. To my surprise, there were no vehicles trapped on this street, no endless queue of frustrated drivers. Actually, every few minutes or so, a car would travel in the same direction as we did. An idea started to take shape in my head: how about we hitch a ride back home? I wanted to surprise Crina with yet another save for today, but how to do it?

    There was an intersection outside of Skarpnäck that we were about to reach soon. I figured that’s a good place to go for a hitchhiking attempt. As we were walking in that direction, I was constantly thinking, plotting about how I could get us home faster and with less effort. I planned to either yell our destination to passing drivers, or write it in capitals on the large screen of my aging Galaxy Note 3.

    After the heavy snowfall, there came a moody mist, bringing with it the unique smell of winter. Street lighting was squeezing luminous blades through the branches of the trees, cutting shadowy planes for us to sail through. We made our way to the intersection, walking single file on the narrow path sculpted by people’s steps over winter’s flesh.

    We reached the intersection where I planned to begin “operation hitchhike”. We crossed the first street. I was just about to tell Crina what the plan is when an SUV stopped in the intersection, just meters from us. The driver, who had arrived from the exact direction I was hoping to see a car from, got out and asked something in Swedish. I didn’t understand what he asked but I did understand that yes, this happened. In the exact same spot that I had been planning for the past 10 minutes to hitch a ride from, a vehicle was now stopped and the driver was asking us where we’re going. It was so unreal that it had to be real.

    A minute later, we were heading home on the back seats of a warm and comfortable car. I had to make an effort to not thank the driver more than three times. Of course I told him about the coincidence of him happening to stop his car seconds before I planned to start my hitchhiking attempts. To him and his brother – who he had just picked up from the same metro station where we came from – it was just a friendly save, something humans do under threatening circumstances. I couldn’t help but admire the way Swedes pull together when anything disturbing happens. We had the same thing happen to us on another occasion during a much darker adventure two years ago when we were involved in a car crash with a moose.

    Before we left the car, I asked for our saviors’ names. We spared no kind words in thanking Anders and Robert. Soon, we were walking back home, feeling peaceful and happy. I knew others were less lucky today. We got out of it with a story to tell. I still couldn’t believe how wonderful this day ended up being.

    Once upon a Snowy November Day in Stockholm
    Once upon a Snowy November Day in Stockholm

    Later on, I lay in bed not being able to sleep. I was too focused on being thankful for the day that I lived. Recollecting various events, I realized that the man who had driven us home shared the same name as the manager I met in the train. It’s a rather common Swedish name, but I still perceived this as… interesting.

    Then, I thought about the dancing brother that had pulled the emergency brake on the metro. I thought about missing the train at Sickla and all the events that had conspired to get us in Anders’ car at the end of the day, completing a journey that I will always remember as an example for letting go and floating on the river of life. Days like this make me experience feelings that are best left far beyond the constricting nature of language.

    “There are no coincidences, just elements working together towards a common goal.”

    – Anonymous

     

    Can’t say I’m surprised that now, when adding the finishing touches on this text, mother Nature decided to give us the third snowy November day. I feel like I’ve been gifted another taste of one of those unique feelings that I don’t dare paint in words.

    Disclaimer: none of the pictures in the story were taken by me.

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  • Digitonal – Anaethmatics

    Digitonal – Anaethmatics

    Playfulness is this melody. It tip-toes around our ears, unfolding its airy rhythms and, after a minute or so, it starts its joyful dance. Like any good play, it doesn’t overstay its welcome – it just grabs attention and leaves its echo in our memory. The song comes from the album “Beautiful Broken”. I can certainly testify towards the beauty of the composition. Don’t know about the “broken” part.

    You can listen to the song for free, in good quality, on BandCamp, which is one of the best websites when it comes to supporting artists. You can also purchase the song (or album) from this same location. And in case you’re wondering, yes, I did purchase Digitonal’s album :).

    https://digitonal.bandcamp.com/track/anaethmatics^

    Sadly, the song is not available on YouTube, but that’s fine because you can listen for free on BandCamp (see above) and Deezer.

    For Spotify Users (high quality):

    https://open.spotify.com/track/2lsxCCQhWd3KJeYbU7AKS4^

    For Deezer Users (high quality):

    http://www.deezer.com/track/96772696^

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/01226-DigitonalBeautifulBroken-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Digitonal – Anaethmatics’ desc=’Playfulness is this melody. It tip-toes around our ears, unfolding its airy rhythms and, after a minute or so, it starts its joyful dance.’]

  • Kerrera – Scotland’s Hidden Gem

    Kerrera – Scotland’s Hidden Gem

    A dark and foreboding sky hid the sun for most of the day. During the evening, wet clouds came down and embraced the hills, caressing the trees with misty fingers. The only sounds were those of animals and wind. A charming tea garden awaits the weary traveler. Not far away, perched upon a rock, Gylen castle looks towards the grassy path. It has been waiting there for hundreds of years, hoarding memories of amazed travelers in its thoughtful stone. Welcome to Kerrera.

    "You cannot create experience. You must undergo it." / Albert Camus
    “You cannot create experience. You must undergo it.” / Albert Camus

    During September 2016, we rented a car and drove around Scotland for two weeks. We eventually arrived at a guest house in Connell, a small village near Oban. During our first breakfast there, we started talking with a couple from Belgium. That’s how we learned about the often-overlooked island.

    Dreams will always find a way to sail
    Dreams will always find a way to sail

    This serene and moody piece of land has impressed me to such a degree that I decided to start writing about some of the beautiful places on Earth that I’ve had the luck and honor to visit. So, I hereby invite you to travel together with a writer and his photographer wife to a special island on the West coast of Scotland.

    Love and tea
    Love and tea

    To say that this is Scotland’s hidden gem may sound like a bit of an overstatement. If it’s a gem, well, that you’ll have to decide for yourself by looking at the pictures (and by hopefully going there one day). Is it hidden? That, it certainly is. Large tour operators are busy with the easy or famous routes. Most tourists traveling in small groups seem to underestimate its value.

    Weather - the ultimate natural mood enhancer
    Weather – the ultimate natural mood enhancer

    We took a tiny ferry from Oban to the island at 12:30, the last one before a 90 minute break. And I do mean tiny. The ferry’s capacity is 12 people or one car. They don’t seem keen to allow tourist vehicles on the isle. They don’t need to either, since you can circle Kerrera, on foot, in about three hours if you keep a decent pace.

    On board our five minute ride to Kerrera
    On board our five minute ride to Kerrera

    We took the short route towards the isle’s highlight – the Gylen castle and the tea garden closeby. Even so, we spent more than one hour and a half one way. On Kerrera, we rediscovered that there are places where the less is happening, the more there is to experience. A profound calmness greeted us there. We could feel it from the moment we got off the ferry together with the postlady and her son. Carefree, she left her child unattended. He played next to the water, among stones and sand. Just a few days earlier, in busier places, we’ve seen parents holding their children in a leash.

    Childhood
    Childhood

    Here was a little boy having a healthy childhood, playing around the tiny dock without supervision, absorbed in a curious yet respectful exploration of his surroundings. The mother had gone to prepare the mail buggy she was to drive around the island. We strolled through the grass next to the dock for a while before joining with the country road leading to the castle and the tea garden.

    Weeeeeh'lcome to Keeeeeeh'rrera
    Weeeeeh’lcome to Keeeeeeh’rrera

    The path led us through farmlands where herds of sheep and cows were going about their daily life. Dry grass and thriving nature breathed their heartbeat through our nostrils. It smelled like summer, even though it was the middle of September.  The only man-made sounds were our footsteps. Every now and then, we would reach a metal gate, separating the farmers’ herds. There were very few other tourists. We met less than 20 people during our 5 hours here. This contributed to the feeling of peacefulness that descended upon us while exploring this magical island.

    An everyruin
    An everyruin

    Like two children chasing their curiosity through an enchanted forest, having the adventure of their lifetime, we followed the signs leading us to the druids’ cottage. Whoever these druids were, they seemed to have a penchant for tea, cake and cute signs.

    The druids really kept us going
    The druids really kept us going

    The tea garden is quite close to the Gylen castle. We had a tasty sandwich and soup there. Even though a bit on the pricy side (given the quantity), the waitresses (ahem, druids) were very kind and their establishment was beyond charming. Even the “Loo with a view” was embellished with cute pictures and funny quotes.

    The Kerrera Tea Garden
    The Kerrera Tea Garden

    Kerrera is part of the Scottish Inner Hebrides group of islands, just like the famous Isle of Skye. There are about 30 people living on the 7 by 2 kilometers wide island. Gylen castle was built in 1582 by the Clan MacDougall. It was occupied for a relatively short period of time before being besieged and burned by the Covenanters^ in 1647.

    These two were still at foreplay three hours later when we returned
    These two were still at foreplay three hours later when we returned

    We proceeded towards Gylen at around 16, about two hours before the last ferry back to Oban. We had no expectations whatsoever, especially since Kerrera didn’t show up on our radar during our relatively thorough pre-holiday planning. We had already seen four famous castles of Scotland, including the top two tourist destinations. We also saw two ruined castles, which we actually liked more than the famous ones.

    The road less traveled
    The road less traveled

    We weren’t exactly prepared to be mind-blown. However, as we were walking on the grassy path, Gylen emerged from behind a hill. It felt like Scotland was suddenly personified as boxer and it wanted to catch us off guard with a punch from the left. There, in front of us, enthroned upon a steep rock, waiting under the dark after-noon sky was a lasting remnant of a bygone age.

    I've been expecting you
    I’ve been expecting you

    This is, by far, the most beautiful castle we’ve seen in Scotland. It is placed upon that cliff, overlooking the sea as if ready to take whatever the world can throw at it. Its architecture – like for example the supporting corbels^ that would have made it difficult for attackers to escalate the walls – speaks lengths about its purpose. The castle is quite well preserved (and partially restored). It’s also deserted, as in there are extremely few tourists around. There’s so little traffic that the grass is still intact everywhere around it. All in all, it’s touching.

    433 years later, man made object takes photograph of another man made object
    433 years later, man made object takes photograph of another man made object

    The feeling of being there, completely alone, is amazing. Indeed, there was nobody in sight for a good while. We did meet another couple, there at the castle. Two fifty-year-olds that have been here two decades ago and were now retracing their steps – the perfect encounter to round off such a magical day.

    The Gylen Castle
    The Gylen Castle

    I keep highlighting the fact that the lack of tourists contributes to the beauty of Kerrera. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not anti-social and we’re aware that we’re tourists too. But it’s a special feeling to be in such a lovely place all by yourself. When choosing to go on the road less traveled, there’s something related with free will that tingles with joy. The happiness brought by a new discovery fuels this most inner human need to dance with curiosity.

    Nature's soft dress offers stone a wet caress
    Nature’s soft dress offers stone a wet caress

    I’d take Gylen’s green lichen tapestry any day over the pompous walls of nameless palaces. The soft dressing inundates the walls, hinting at abandoned glory and wet, misty mornings. It’s interesting how there is more humanity and nature in this ruin than in the gardens of Versailles during a busy summer day. You’re alone with your thoughts, listening to the wind chase bygone memories through empty window frames.

    Gone with the wind
    Gone with the wind

    Our time on Kerrera has definitely come up on top as the most unexpected find during our 14 days tour of Scotland. After so much driving, one gets to start having somewhat of an impression about a place. We knew that Skye is going to be great and we expected Loch Ness to be overrated. Both those assumptions proved themselves to be correct. What we did not expect was our marvelous day on Kerrera. And that is why for us, Kerrera has become Scotland’s Hidden Gem.

    The city of Oban, with Kerrera in the distance
    The city of Oban, with Kerrera in the distance

    Now please proceed and forget everything that you’ve just read, because this place needs to be preserved deserted as it is. If this place were to somehow, overnight, become as famous as Loch Ness, it would be ruined. This is a rather annoying fact, but that’s how it goes with beautiful, wild places.

    Some sheep like life on the edge
    Some sheep like life on the edge

    So, forgive my sarcasm when I joke: please go to Loch Ness, visit castle Urquhart and the other famous tourist traps. You can find gift shops there! There is no such thing here, aside from a few locally crafted wares that you can buy at the tea garden. You don’t want to disturb the calm sheep, the serene nature, nor the majestic goat we’ve seen just as we were leaving the castle grounds, still hypnotized by the lonesome beauty of Gylen.

    His Highness...
    His Highness…

    Sarcasm aside, Gylen is still there, waiting for those that will appreciate it for what it is. What you’ve just read is what it was for us – a subjective account, of arguable value. I doubt I’d have enjoyed this visit as much as I did had it not been for the ominous sky and the lack of expectation I had when I went there.

    Nature needs no thrones
    Nature needs no thrones

    Most pictures made by Crina^, except the picture with the tea garden, © Trip Advisor.

    You can access the full album here^.

    My proposed soundtrack for reading this text:

    Delerium – Flowers Become Screens^

    Digitonal – Anaethmatics^

    And, if you’re feeling adventurous, try Clubroot – Low Pressure Zone^

    References & further reading:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gylen_Castle^

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerrera^

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corbel^

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  • MIKTEK – Song Of The Burning Mountain

    MIKTEK – Song Of The Burning Mountain

    It’s hard to pick a song to feature from MIKTEK’s “Elsewhere” album simply because all songs on it are so damn awesome. This one, with its subdued creatures of sound, meowing here and there is almost as good as any.

    Every time I listen to this album I find my preferences shifting from one song to another, which is a very good sign for an LP. MIKTEK is, by far, one of the best down-tempo artists I ever heard. Don’t worry though, down-tempo or not, there’s plenty of awesome rhythms here, featuring a masterful use of low frequencies.

    You can listen to the song for free, in good quality, on BandCamp, which is one of the best websites when it comes to supporting artists. You can also purchase the song (or album) from this same location. And in case you’re wondering, yes, I did purchase MIKTEK’s album :).

    https://ultimae.bandcamp.com/track/song-of-the-burning-mountain^

    YouTube (decent quality):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OukGcDEYnM^

    For Spotify Users (high quality):

    https://open.spotify.com/track/0NJKPclPUeLZQEPHpB2HNH^

    For Deezer Users (high quality):

    http://www.deezer.com/track/66907675^

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  • Kazakhstan vs North Korea

    Kazakhstan vs North Korea

    Some time ago, I came about this interesting article, which compares the two countries. It’s an interesting point of view that shows how Kazakhstan managed to prosper after giving up its nuclear arsenal whereas North Korea is in economic ruin:

    http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/sep/22/north-korea-and-kazakhstan-a-study-in-nuclear-cont/^

    But for all their differences, unfortunately, there are many parallels that can be drawn between the two countries. I’d congratulate Kazakhstan if I didn’t know that the country is ruled by an authoritarian government that has a rather poor human rights record. It’s a far cry from North Korea but still…

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/01179-KazakhstanVsNorthKorea-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Kazakhstan vs North Korea’ desc=’An interesting point of view that shows how Kazakhstan managed to prosper after giving up its nuclear arsenal whereas North Korea is in economic ruin.’]

  • Dead Can Dance – Children Of The Sun

    Dead Can Dance – Children Of The Sun

    There’s solemnity here. There’s positivity. There’s a statement of brotherhood, sisterhood and belongness to a greater something. Organized religion is merely the system that has been developed by humans in order to control and exploit this feeling that we all have inside. Even if it is “just” the Universe we belong to, it is still a feeling of being part of something. We are, truly, children of the Sun, for without the atomic lovemaking called fusion, we wouldn’t exist.

    Beautiful music, powerful voice, meaningful message, what more can we ask for? Perhaps a longer listen? We got it! This one will keep our eardrums satisfied for a bit over 7 minutes and a half. Enjoy.

    “We are the children of the sun
    Our journey’s just begun
    Sunflowers in our hair
    We are the children of the sun
    There is room for everyone
    Sunflowers in our hair

    […]

    Faith, hope, our charities
    Greed, sloth, our enemies

    We are the children of the sun
    We are the children of the sun”

    YouTube (decent quality):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6aQEFzB3zQ^

    For Spotify Users (high quality):

    http://open.spotify.com/track/1koW7ZXIK67vKaYWjzNlG8^

    For Deezer Users (high quality):

    http://www.deezer.com/track/39940831^

    This Weekly Song entry has been brought from the FaceBook archive of Weekly Song^. This exploration was originally started through a FaceBook page, about 13 months prior to launching Mentatul. Slowly but surely, the entire FaceBook archive will be brought here.

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  • Carpooling Becoming More Effective with Every Passing Day

    Carpooling Becoming More Effective with Every Passing Day

    An interesting phenomenon is happening in Los Angeles. People are starting to realize that owning a car is not only stressful, but economically damaging. Thanks to companies like Uber, Lyft and others, the costs of movement have decreased drastically. An increasing amount of people is waking up to the fact that ridesharing has more advantages than disadvantages.

    https://www.buzzfeed.com/priya/people-in-los-angeles-are-getting-rid-of-their-cars^

    This is only the beginning. The self-driving vehicle revolution will increase the efficiency of transportation even further. We often hear that one cannot stand in the way of progress. With the help of software and the Internet, seems like progress is hitting the pavement of most major cities on the globe and will slowly but surely spread everywhere.

    Even if the costs of movement are already quite low in some countries, even there, the benefits of ridesharing and carpooling will undoubtedly make themselves felt sooner or later. There are interesting times ahead. Although professional drivers might not be so keen regarding the upcoming changes, the planet will become cleaner and we’ll have less pollution from our streets. And think of all the freed car parking space!

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/01159-CarPoolingLosAngeles-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Carpooling Becoming More Effective with Every Passing Day’ desc=’People are starting to realize that owning a car is not only stressful, but economically damaging. Thanks to companies like Uber, Lyft and others, the costs of movement have decreased drastically.’]

  • Balligomingo – Lust

    Balligomingo – Lust

    Every now and then, the perfect voice, lyrics and music meet. The way singer Beverley Staunton flows through the words is truly something to behold – powerful, ecstatic, driven. This song is as sensual and uplifting as they come. Of course, what is sensual for someone is a turnoff for someone else, but I believe we can agree that there’s a powerful voice and some beautiful lyrics here.

    This melody comes from Balligomingo’s “Beneath the Surface” album, which I must highly recommend. The sound may be somewhat reminiscent of Delerium, but I feel that Balligomingo’s album is more… sensual – and not because of this song alone, check “Heat” out, where the artists collaborate with Kristy Thirsk, yet another amazing singer that created alongside Delerium.

    “Follow me into deeper waters
    Sinking fast into your eyes
    Caught inside your trance

    Feel my hunger for aching pleasure
    Shelter me under your spell
    Offer me your soul

    […]

    Feel the fire burning under
    Wander free into my world
    Let me be your pearl”

    YouTube (decent quality):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h_A52LvMeA^

    For Spotify Users (high quality):

    https://open.spotify.com/track/2tPGYhpLWelsJvU2Mf4F7q^

    For Deezer Users (high quality):

    http://www.deezer.com/track/991456^

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/01214-BalligomingoBeneathSurface-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Balligomingo – Lust’ desc=’The way singer Beverley Staunton flows through the words is truly something to behold – powerful, ecstatic, driven.’]

  • India Makes Efforts towards Gender Equality… Through Censorship

    India Makes Efforts towards Gender Equality… Through Censorship

    In India, many families are taking their gender preferences a bit too far. Because of the perceived material benefit of having boys, women tend to terminate girl pregnancies more often. This has resulted in the country having one of the worst gender balances in the world.

    Various Indian governments have tried to tackle the problem in different ways. The latest such maneuver is asking Google, Microsoft and Yahoo to censor advertisements for services that determine the sex of unborn children:

    http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/20/12986206/google-microsoft-yahoo-india-sex-selection-ad-block^

    It’s good that at least they’re trying to do something about the problem. However, throwing the dead cat in the search engine’s yard is a cheap and cowardly solution. And like all such solutions, it won’t do much. The adverts only help certain companies get customers from other companies who don’t advertise. Without the commercials, people will simply turn to whatever word of mouth is available. And in the third millennium, word travels fast, censorship or not.

    If India really wants change when it comes to gender equality, then the only option is, of course, education. Children, along with their families, have to carefully and respectfully be given the teachings that will make them realize the importance of gender balance. Pragmatically speaking, the digital age has annihilated pretty much any economic advantage men had over women. In a healthy society women can now contribute as the equals they always should have been. It’s jolly time to get healthy, India.

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  • Bob Moses – Far From The Tree

    Bob Moses – Far From The Tree

    It ramps up slowly but determinedly, marching forward with a solid thumping bass that can turn subwoofers into weapons. Then the voices start, rising in beautiful monotony and leading up to the few lyrics that are sung. The melody features an interesting mix between the underlying scattered beat and a carefully put together accompaniment for the singer.

    This song reminds me of a saying in Romanian: “the splinter won’t fall far from the tree”. It is usually said when children follow in the footsteps of parents. However, I think many of us do fall quite far from the tree…

    YouTube (decent quality):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsyB0phTz9I^

    For Spotify Users (high quality):

    https://open.spotify.com/track/2iTwQZcArboA9KZ0Xdl0zx^

    For Deezer Users (high quality):

    http://www.deezer.com/track/94757278^

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/01208-BobMosesAllInAll-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Bob Moses – Far From The Tree’ desc=’It ramps up slowly but determinedly, marching forward with a solid thumping bass that can turn subwoofers into weapons.’]