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#jesus will never leave you typography
shujistars · 4 months
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have a good day/evening bb! for the ask game <3
sun ⇢ name 5 things you like about yourself?
uranus ⇢ what things do you think should change in society?
pluto ⇢ tell something supernatural that happened to you
ascendant ⇢ do you believe in love at first sight?
aquarius ⇢ do you consider yourself an antisocial or social person?
pisces ⇢ what kind of art are you good at? (painting, dancing, singing, etc.)
10H ⇢ how do you want people to remember you?
oooo minx thank u darling! i hope your day/evening is going wonderfully as well 🩵
sun ⇢ name 5 things you like about yourself?
my humor, my creativity and ability to write out exactly what my emotions convey, my empathy, my agility when dealt bad cards, and my hugs (according to my partner hehe)
uranus ⇢ what things do you think should change in society?
such a uranus thing to say, haha. but big ones for me are healthcare (making it free and funded by taxes), homelessness (providing everyone with a home regardless of having a job or anything; everyone deserves a roof over their head), and the war on drugs (better rehab centers, places to administer 100% clean drugs if you're still going to do them, proper withdrawal centers).
pluto ⇢ tell something supernatural that happened to you
i had a crazy one happen a few years ago during covid, like in the early months. the guy above us was always crying (like, sobbing crying) for random 10-15min periods throughout the day. we'd never hear him otherwise, or see him leave the apartment; i'm 95% sure he's to blame for both experiences i had in this apartment. so, one night, my bf and i decide to drink one of those MASSIVE jugs of wine by ourselves (we finished it. my liver hates me lol) and at like,,,3am, i remember waking up and looking at the closet and somehow being able to look INTO the closet (it had slats on it) and there was Something in the closet that wanted out (it looked similar to a demon, close to what baphomet looks like), so i RIPPED OFF TWO SLATS FROM THE DOOR and then just. went back to bed LMFAO then another night, i had this overwhelming fear that prevented me from falling asleep and i heard those horrible three knocks on the front door at, you guessed it, 3am. i could feel something at the bedroom door, and eventually i got to a point where i just absolutely lost my shit; i got up and started screaming for whatever it was to fuck off and my partner wakes up like what the fcuk are you doing and finally gets me back into bed. cleansed the fuck outta the place the next day and got some black tourmaline and never got bothered again, lol. my partner jokes that i scared whatever it was off because i went so crazy that it was like oh jesus oh fuck she's nuts
ascendant ⇢ do you believe in love at first sight?
hmm. i think so, although i don't have that for me. i need a connection before i can progress to something like love; my partner is a good example. i actually ghosted him for like 2 weeks before he asked me to come over after a party one night and that was it, i was sold, LOL. but not for me, although i do believe it exists.
aquarius ⇢ do you consider yourself an antisocial or social person?
i sway between the two. i have a "cap" on my energy where once i reach that cap i'm done and i need to go relax and be away from people. so i can be social, but i also need my nesting time away from people to go play video games or smth by myself and recharge.
pisces ⇢ what kind of art are you good at? (painting, dancing, singing, etc.)
writing (obviously haha). i used to be pretty decent at drawing, but it was never really my thing. typography, photography and videography look cool as well but i'm so burnt out on visual media from college so i've gone the opposite route of writing instead.
10H ⇢ how do you want people to remember you?
someone who was empathetic and cared for her friends and family. someone who is reliable and committed to being there, no matter what time it is or what the situation is like. someone who persevered through all the trials of life, wiping the dirt off her face and getting up again. someone who never gives up, no matter what is thrown at her.
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send me astrology asks!
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craftedby · 4 years
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“So let go my soul and trust in Him The waves and wind still know His name” It is Well // @bethelmusic I love this song and how it ushers in a spirit of peace. It says over and over “through it all, my eyes are on you” and “this mountain that’s in front of me will be thrown into the midst of the see.” It’s just the reminder that God is SO much bigger than anything we face. And keeping our eyes on Him is the best way to see us through whatever challenges we are up against. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” When everything around us is uncertain, the best thing we can do is keep our hearts and minds on Jesus. He is our peace, our strength, and will never leave our side. #lettering #handlettering #calligraphy #procreatelettering #video #typography #brushlettering #letters #moderncalligraphy #design #handmade #letteringart #handwriting #type #graphicdesign #goodtype #letteringchallenge #ink #brushpen #bulletjournal #letteringdaily #artist #letteringdaily #letteringdesign #liveinspired #CreatedToday #brushcalligraphy #brushscript #strengthinletters #handwrittennotes #wordstoliveby https://www.instagram.com/p/B-YbfQgHVYh/?igshid=1pcvn9u9kks44
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anchorsandjesus · 5 years
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Psalm 124 inspired this little thought of mine. “Had it not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, when their anger was kindled against us; then the waters would have engulfed us, the stream would have swept over our soul; yes, the raging waters would have swept over our soul.” 
Truly if it hadn’t been for the Lord, where we would we be today? What would have swallowed us whole and spit us out? The thing is even in our salvation, we can feel like this sometimes. We follow the Lord, trust Him in every circumstance, but still end up feeling like the waters HAVE engulfed us. The more that I think about it, I realize that even our struggles and trials, though seemingly insurmountable, on this side of salvation are far better than if we had never said “yes” to Him at all. It is by His good and perfect grace that what we experience today, whether its sunshine or its thunderstorms, is better than where we used to be or where we would be without Him. 
BUT GOD…He shows up. He interrupts our makeshift storyline and says, “I’ve mapped out all the days before you. Every day is written in My book. I will never leave you wondering what your future holds, because I already hold it. Where you’ve been, what you’ve done, I hold no record. I have written this love story of Mine for you.” So while we may wonder where we would be without Him, the greatest peace we have is found in our present moment with Him. If it hadn’t been for the Lord, we wouldn’t be who He always created us to be. 🧡💛 • • • • #handlettering #quote #lettering #psalm124 #bibleverses #calligraphy #typography #ipadlettering #writings #blog #Jesus #God #salvation #hope #faith #progress https://www.instagram.com/p/By4C1X7h3a6/?igshid=16i1wbluc2kqp
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artdjgblog · 4 years
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​Innerview: Nathan Reusch​ / The Record Machine​​
October 2008
Art: DJG Design
Note: ​Interview ​for a series called "​Where Are They Now?​"​
Over the years we have gotten to work with really great creative people. After doing this for five years we want to give you guys some more insight on who has helped be a part of this label and make it what it is today. First off we have an interview with Danny Gibson of DJG Design. Danny has always been behind the scenes at TRM. He has helped create almost all of our logos and helped us with a lot of art direction and design since the begining. He also designed our very first release for Jame Dean Trio. ​0​1) Introduction I was at the historic first official meeting of The Record Machine held at McCoy’s in West Port of Kansas City, MO over half a decade ago. My say didn’t amount to much. I think my mouth was full as I was mostly positioned to eat free cheeseburgers. ​0​2) How have you been spending your days? My days are spent. Creeping on the Crow’s Feet I find that time is more easily measured in flap jack format than ever before. Something big has always been beaming and beating and I find myself blind peeping to see how far back the dogs with prickly sticks in their mouths yip, kick and nip for my heels. I do beat the crickets up at 5 am Monday thru Saturday in order to pinch a bit back. Evenings and weekends find me down slide sliver squeezes as well. I engage in making things and find some peace through all the pieces with my maker in the act of doing so. The handful of women I share space with enlightenment my walk as well…kitties and wife. Walks are good too and Fall time is the best for comfortable living in Kansas City. ​0​3) Where have you been spending your days or evenings? A bounty of selections from my basement is always on the menu. I’m easily entertained hunched over at my good ol’ door desk. In the mean time I appreciate the company of my wife, kitty hair on my clothes, celebrating all movies, well-tailored music that sometimes requires a third ear and high rise stacks of books and comics. For nourishment I scrape every pan and pot my wife cooks in. And I am the dishwasher. In the twilight occasion, a one scoop waffle cone of peanut butter ice cream at Miami Ice just down the street does me correctly. If I’m in need to see the stars or get away, the family farm isn’t too far off. ​0​4) What has been in your ears? I love big chunks of ear wax. While rockin’ to the thunder that Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band brought at Sprint Center here in KC, I had a big chunk of ear gunk fall out and it was heavenly. I’m really tickled by the musical foundations a fellow basement dweller named Micah Buzan of Blue Springs, MO is cranking out. He is only 18 and one to watch. Other Kansas City area highlights include The Tambourine Club and The ACBs, who both not only crank out some great and fresh music, but are genuinely lovely lads and don’t boast at the art of playing “rock star”. Far out of this area…I’m excited to hear more from Empire of the Sun as the single “Walking on a Dream” is some of the best dance pop I’ve heard since Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album. Which, I’ve been rattling the rafters with that ’80s gold as well whenever I tire of the Samey So-So’s of most things current. Though, there are a few great new ones and “Evil Urges” by My Morning Jackets is my favorite album so far in 2008. And I can never get enough Bruce Springsteen in my diet. Every day and sometimes every minute of the day calls for a different selection from The Boss’s healthy catalogue. I’m also into the music of Suicide lately. Oh, and I’m quite convinced that Harry Nilsson is one of our finest song craftsmen as a handful of his albums have really been making sense to me and his range is all over the map. ​0​5) What has been inspiring or refreshing to you lately? The work ethic, ideas, passion and output of singer-songwriters Harry Nilsson and Bruce Springsteen gets me going. I finished reading Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” for the second and one half times and it is gold. I like Michael Chabon’s writing and work ethic a lot too and am spending my second Fall in his books…the same with Flannery O’Connor. In terms of arts and crafts, Saul Steinberg, Henryk Tomaszewski, Eric Carle and Bill Traylor continue to get me to smiling. Oh, and I must hand out an exclamation to fellow maker Ben Chlapek of Neversleeping.com as he is involved with a lot of lovely creations. ​0​6) Earliest Influences that you can think of? Farm Life / Giant Watermelon Patches / Giant Pumpkins / Grandaddy Long Legs / Dead Animals Under Bed / Homemade Stuffed Animals / Taxidermy / Seed Corn Packaging and Farm Implement Logos / Small Town Gas Stations / Uncle Ed’s Horse Drawing Skills / The Seasons / Fireworks / Animals Big and Little / Hunting / Dead Animal Backpack / Grandma Gibson’s Handmade Aesthetics, Checker skills, Sugar Cookies and Salmon Patties / Grandpa Gibson’s Burnt Pancakes and Old Western-Love Story Reading / The Sand Box / Tree Houses and Forts / Popping Asphalt Bubbles in Summertime / Snow Days / Hard Rains / Holidays / Fishing / Camping / Guns and War / Drawing WWII Battles with Dad / Raccoon Wall Paper / Puppets / Anything Jim Henson / Mad Magazine / Mad Balls / Garbage Pail Kids / Dr. Demento / Taping Music Off the Radio / “Live & Let Die” by Paul McCartney & Wings / Mom’s Record Pile / The Beatles / Oldies Music / ‘70s T.V. Theme Tunes / ‘80s Pop Music (Michael Jackson for sure) / Weird Al Yankovic / Ren & Stimpy / Pee-Wee’s Playhouse / Saturday Morning Cartoons / “Gummi Bears” / Comic Books / Tractor Pulls / Big Foot (Creature and Monster Truck) / “Star Wars” / “The Swiss Family Robinson” / “James Bond” / “Indiana Jones” / “Rambo” / “Commando” / “Batman” (Tim Burton) / Going to the Movies / Pizza and Tacos / Soda Pop / Flavored Frozen Pops / Kick Ball / Grandma Dayton’s Spaghetti / Racking Leaves and Riding to the Dump with Grandpa Dayton / Sports (Michael Jordan for sure) / Sports Team Mascots / Sports Stadiums / Collecting Sports Trading Cards / Skyscrapers / Cake and Ice Cream / Late Nights at Best Friend Ean’s Funeral Home House / “…red and yellow, black and white they are precious in his sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.” / Being Alone / Cutting and Pasting / Falling Off a Slide, Hitting My Head and Blacking Out in Kindergarten ​0​7) Best thing you have seen on a little or big screen in a while? P.T. Anderson’s “Punch-Drunk Love” is my favorite movie and I just took my 8th dip with it. My favorite 2008 movie and the best rockumentary ever so far is “Young @ Heart” and close behind for top of this year is “Be Kind Rewind” and “Son of Rambow”. This Fall and Winter look to boast one of the finest crops of films…I’m highly anticipating “The Road”, “The Wrestler”, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, “Synecdoche, NY”, “The Changeling” and many others. Other great watches of late (old and new) include “The Tin Drum”, “Hoop Dreams”, “It’s A Wonderful Life”, “The Wicker Man” (1973), “Sorry, Haters”, “The Seven Year Itch”, “The Cars That Ate Paris”, “Don’t Look Now”, “Dark Days”, “Rat Catcher”, “The King of Kong”, “Alice”, “Dear Wendy” and “The Band’s Visit”. On the small screen, “Planet Earth” is mind-blowing worship that demands for me to invest in a projector for the future. In T.V. Land this summer I discovered and fell in love with “Beauty & The Geek”. I’m excited for the cool new sci-fi show with cool typography called “Fringe” and another season with the excellent “How I Met Your Mother”. Currently I’m backtracking through the entire series of “Sex & The City” and am absolutely loving it and can’t wait to get the movie! Oh, and the live Broadway production of “The Drowsy Chaperone” is gold genius and made me cry. ​0​8) Last best show you have been to? Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band in Kansas City on August 24, 2008. It is the best show I’ve ever seen, even better than two previous Boss concerts. Sprint Center is now officially called Spring Center. I can’t wait for the Super Bowl half-time… ​0​9) Any links to things you want to pass along? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYwhvD2-fYw 10) The Final Word? (one word only please) GRILLEDCHEESETOMATOSOUP -djg
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oilnwine · 5 years
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Fear works like faith but in a negative way. If you’re so worried and fearful, the very thing you fear will overtake you. It’s so important to know the promises of God and how much he wants us to walk in victory. Sure, we will have trials and things happen that are beyond our control. But put your life into the Savior’s hand and trust that He will never leave you or forsake you. Job said, “What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.” ~Job 3:25 . . . . . . #letteringgemsbrushes #handlettering #brushlettering #moderncalligraphy #fearanflove #letterforthelord #letteryourfaith #shepaintstruth #letteringhislove #fractal #thedailytype #darlingmovement #thatsdarling #illustratedfaith #calledtocreate #letterhisword #wordoftruth #livingepistles #dailyquote #goodtype #typespire #typography #typographyinspired #handmadefont #jesus #brushtype #calligraphy #bible https://www.instagram.com/p/BsT1jeMnrA7/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=phuuckppny1s
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museoffury · 5 years
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I awoke with the feeling of longing today to know a father I was never given the chance to meet. I thought about the deep and profound secret my Mother kept in her heart of something so significant and wondered why she didn’t want me to know. I started to write a song in Spanish about sadness and wishing.
I then decided that I could not put off the inevitable and so today would begin with a mundane task: laundry. Even that proves to be a significant experience here since most seem to wash by hand and hang laundry outside their window on a line. There didn’t seem to be a way to do that in this pad, and I’ll be quite honest: I really am not into that. Call me shishi, but I like my clothes blown dry. So, I looked up various Lavandarias and found one just 3-blocks up from where I’m staying–pretty cool being that I could only find six in all of Lisbon. This one named Lavandaria do Aqueduto seemed fitting. Aqueducts carry water over obstacles, right? My clothes had been through Zurich, Madrid, and a couple of days in Lisbon already. It was an easy-peasy walk up the hill and I found 3 washers and two dryers in a very clean, small laundromat with instructions in English in a 4-point font below the Portuguese words and if you push the correct combination of buttons, voila! it includes a detergent in the washing machine which begins from a controller on the wall for all the machines. Snap!  Since I had 30-min, I decided to head around the corner to a little cafe I had seen offering some quick “para levar” so that I could grab an espresso and a nibble. It was busy and the server was rushing about quite efficiently. When she came to ask what I wanted, I told her that she was impressive and efficient. She smiled and relaxed for a second:
“34-years of doing this makes it so. It’s better be fast.  I started here working for my grandfather when I had 18 years; now when my father dies, it will be mine. “
Wow! Impressive! I did some quick inaccurate math:
“We are the same age. I am 56 and…”
She interrupted: “I have 52-years.”
Me: “Oh, yes. Of course. It is fantastic that the business passes to you after all of your hard work. What is your name?”
She gave me my order and took the Euros and tip.
“Gabriella. Thank you for talking me. Have a nice day.”
 Here is her little spot in Lisbon where my Pastel de Nata and espresso sit in the middle. Mind you, there are thousands of Padarias and Pastelarias and Cafes everywhere you walk here. The reason I walked into this one is that I happened to be washing my clothes around the corner. 15-min in the dryer and I was on my way back to the pad.
By this point, it was 1:20p and I was ready to find some serious lunch. I’ve only been eating one meal out per day and want to stick to that since I have a little kitchenette here and have bought some essentials to keep at the temp homestead. I read about a cool place to eat lunch (even though it was already 2p) that wasn’t due to close like most the others I found that end lunch service at 3p. This one was open until midnight with no break. It was across town and would promise an exploratory plunge into the world of busses and trams here in Lisbon – a new adventure! Excellent, I love this part of a new city! When I clicked to go to GoogleMaps to see an overview of the location, my tab fell on a Chrome MomentumDash screen that always provides a relaxing picture, a quote, and some other productivity points.
Oh, yes. I feel balanced alright here on vacation. Thank you for the message, computer!
The restaurant description pointed out the location as the LX Factory and I had also seen it as a destination point on GoogleMaps. I wondered about it and researched further. I found this:
In 1846, a fabric production plant (Companhia de Fiação e Tecidos Lisbonenses) was created in Alcântara, Lisbon. The industrial complex spanned over a total of 23.000 m2 and was one of the most important undertakings the city had so far seen. Fifty years later, the company decides to move and, in its place, a succession of businesses such as industrial typographies took advantage of the unique location and facilities. Forward to the late 20th century and the location was an abandoned, run-down and decrepit inner-city area that desperately needed a makeover. A private investor decides to take on the challenge of creating something new out of almost one hundred years of history and the rest, as they say, is indeed history. Today, the space is home to more than 200 businesses ranging from cafés, restaurants, design houses, show-rooms, shops, offices, commercial spaces to other projects that link directly to the space’s unique cultural and artistic standing.
I’m going to provide some shots of my own soon, but these photos here on TripAdvisor say it all!
So, all I had to do was get there.
What did we do without GoogleMaps? Well, I’ll tell you one thing GM doesn’t tell you is which side of the street to wait for a bus and so goes my next 1.5 hours for a trip that should have taken 23-minutes according to my i-spaceship. I walked over to the huge Assembly of the Republic building. Yes, this is where the central hub of the Portuguese government meets and it’s quite a building.
When I got to the top, I thought I could find the bus stop as the little blue dot on GMaps was showing that I was quite close. I looked down:  Hmmm, somewhere likely down there. I’ll walk a bit and voila! The bus I wanted was just leaving, but alas, another one comes in 15-minutes. I waited, watched and listened to a bird in a cage hanging on a mini-patio just above the stop across the street. I looked down to see another bus of the number I needed to hop on going the other way. Shoot. Was I waiting on the right side of the street?  I looked at GMaps and retraced my steps…Ayii. It looks like I need to wait over there! I crossed the street and looked at the map. Yes, Cavalária is one of the stops. OK, phew.
One came 10-minutes later and I hopped on and took a seat. We traveled a mile or so when I realized that nowhere does it state the stop name so how would I know when we reached Cavalária? I could go ask the bus driver. Or, I could check the blue dot on my phone!  Uh-Oh, it shows I’m going further from LX Factory, not toward it. Damn. By now we were at the hundredth or so tall statue I have seen of men towering over squares and plazas–this one called the something de Pombra. So many famous men to put on pedestals! I hopped off the next stop and crossed the street to wait on the other side for the bus going the other way. OK, now I’ll be set. Two of the wrong number went by and then, finally! Here comes the 727, only it was going fast and wouldn’t stop! Um, Oh no: I’ve got to go to a different stop further up by the man on the pedestal!  Jesus! Who is that poor woman with her bare breast and arms chained above her head below the man on the pedestal? No time to check. I had to keep searching for the stop. I walked another 1/2-hour as the streets here are very wide and filled with taxis and buses all going somewhere very quickly. I walked down another street trying to follow the damned blue dot but I seemed to be heading off course again. OK, look for the street name. They are on the sides of buildings on each corner and do not have their own post like we have. I looked up and guess what I found?  Can you imagine? The word has re-entered from Madrid to Portugal. I smiled. There is a HOTEL Tranquilidade. I was reminded to just enjoy the ride of being lost and to maintain my balance. I walked another block and then circled back around the dude on the pedestal (again). This time, I heard American voices next to me. A Mom, Dad, and Daughter were looking up and all around like I had been:
Dad: “Jesus. I’m tired of going in circles. I can’t find anything here.”
Me: “Hey, me too! I’ve been trying to find a bus going to a certain place and it’s taken me an hour!”
Mom: “It took us 45-minutes to find the post office we were told was just up the block.”
Me: “I’m going to the post office too, and…
Dad: “Well, you’re going the wrong way, it’s behind us 4-blocks!”
Me: “Oh, I’m going to a different one near where I plan to eat lunch…well, now it’s dinner, I guess.”
Mom: “You mean there is more than one? We were told that there was only one and it’s behind us.”
Me: “Oh, there are a lot of post offices all over, but just not near each other.”
Dad: “I wondered why this huge city would have only one post office. People. Sheesh.”
All of us together: “Where are you from?”
Them: “We’re from Idaho and our daughter here has been serving in the Peace Corps in Mozambique, so we figured this would be a great place to meet all together.”
More chatting between us about the weather here in Lisbon (they are loving it as it’s below zero back home), etc. We walked up to my bus stop saying a quick goodbye and have fun as I hopped up on the bus of the number I was looking for only this time I asked the driver before paying: “Calavária?”  He then pointed across the street saying quickly in Portuguese that the bus to Calvário is on the other side. Well, 3rd time is a charm. Here I go. “Obrigado!” (Ooops, forgot the “a” again. I’m supposed to say “obrigada.”)
So there I was, 1.5-hours later going the right way to the Calvário stop where I would find (25-minutes later) both a post office (which turned out to be a post office, bank, and 4 shelves of  books for sale all in one) with the entrance to the LX Factory just a 3-min walk from the post-bank-books to the restaurant whose name I had already forgotten. Damn. I was famished and thirsty.
When I arrived, I found a splendid playground well worth the wait! I stopped at the first super fun/artsy restaurant I found and sat outside near a fab heat lamp and ordered a beer. WOOF, they brought me a beer!   Someone knew I was thirsty! Reward! Now here’s a pedestal I’d like to see with some females on it! Where are all the statues of the mulhers importantes in Portugal? I ordered the Praça burger (house special) that was heavenly with lots of different sautéed veggies on it (candied onions, mushrooms, zucchini, carrots) and pesto sauce along with their house-made chips that were a delight. YUM! ( I could not finish that beer after eating the meal but I got 3/4 through it.)
THEN I WALKED AROUND. WHAT A PLACE!
First I walked into the restaurant I had eaten at A Praça do Lisboa to use the loo and found the interior delightful.  And since I heard a band while I ate not far off playing covers from the 80’s and 90’s, I had to find them first to check them out:  The outside area was crowded with people sitting at tables talking and drinking beer and wine but the odd thing I noticed was when the band finished one of the songs, I was the only one clapping. Oh. They don’t clap for musicians here? Odd…  I walked on.
And then I came upon this! My favorite new bookstore in one glance: Ler Devagar Bookstore (check this out):
I looked around some more to walk off the meal noticing that a lot more people were arriving as this is obviously a thriving scene for a Friday night that is not the ordinary fare in Lisbon. Just as I found myself outside of the LX Factory at night wondering where to catch the bus and really not wanting to try to find a stop, I saw a man leaning against a TukTuk.  He extended his hand toward the vehicle saying, “Where would you like to go? Have you tried a TukTuk?” I had seen these all over town and wondered about them. They are literally a 3-wheel motorcycle with a plastic tent around them to keep you warm at night and likely out of the rain if the weather turns. I was hesitant. He explained that he could take me anywhere I’d like to go for 10-Euros which is far less than the normal price as he must put the TukTuk away in the garage in the next one-and-a-half hours. He could also show me some special places. Well, they are a licensed group. I know they are safe, and I really didn’t want to try the bus fiasco again. So, I hopped in. He zipped me all in as if we were camping with him in the front and me in the 2-seater bench in the rear with seatbelts.  “My name is Carlos. What is yours?” We chatted for a bit about San Francisco because he cackled when I said I was from SF: “San Francisco! It’s the same as Lisboa! Bridges! Hills! Lots of people!” But then added, “But America has gone crazy, no? What has happened to the brains of the people?” I explained that one of the reasons I was here on this trip was to find a new place to live (someday) and that Portugal is one of my top choices. He told me he knows people here who have homes to rent and sell. He will give me names. At one point he asked, “Are you in a rush? If not, I have a great pastelaria to show you!”
I was game. Let’s go! We stopped and had a Pastel de Natal (much more delicious than the one I had in the morning) which were made by the hour in the place he brought me to. I bought us both one and added an espresso to sip. The third bite in, he said, “Oh! You must meet my friend Claudia who owns a shop near where you are staying. Let’s go pay her a visit and then I take you home. She owns some properties.” I was still delighting in the custard pastry and one last sip of espresso. He was right. It was a treat! We then scooted a few more streets over (he was a deft driver at one point squeezing between a car and a truck in a space I thought far too narrow to get through with no problem.) He parked quickly and we hopped out. The shop was so beautiful, lit by amber light containing numerous wonderful old things everywhere. I stopped at a journal made of a vinyl record for the front and back cover. Oh, universe! What have you done? I looked at Carlos: “I am a huge fan of vinyl records, Carlos. How did you know?” As I looked at him smiling, I saw high above his head a wall covered with actual records that were artistically cut into various scenes: one of a silhouette of Alfred Hitchcock with an old movie camera next to him seated in a Director’s chair, several of iconic images of Lisbon, and one that caught my attention quickly– the silhouette of a saxophonist and guitarist jamming together.  I told Claudia that I have vinyl records all over the walls of my office at school. She said, “It seems you need one more to place with the others.” Indeed!
That’s Carlos Bonito and me with Claudia in the back. She doesn’t like being in pictures. And here are the (not one but two) pieces of cut vinyl I bought after Claudia explained the deep meaning of “saudade” which has no translation she said in any language but something like this: a deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for an absent something or someone that one loves. (I found this online as she couldn’t quite find the words to express the depth of the meaning of the word.) It seemed the perfect bookend to the thoughts I had when I awoke this morning that felt so long ago. What a day and night in Lisbon!
Nine Hours of Exploration with Being Lost as a Theme I awoke with the feeling of longing today to know a father I was never given the chance to meet.
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