Songs From The Wood

Spring seems to be finally here. The pool is green, I don’t need to check the weather nor plan my dash to the office on my recumbent during a break in the clouds, sweater is out and sandals are in, Hobbes is spending more time outside than before. Here he is, on the prowl in our yard.

I took the day off as I wanted a break from the intense weeks at work. The day is gorgeous and it looks like the weekend will be great as well. I plan to go biking upto Stevens Creek tomorrow and do my long run on Sunday. These last few weeks, running has been off due to work pressure.

The day got off to a relaxing start. Listening to Cesaria Evora after a bath and watching Hobbes prowl around the yard, I felt the mood was right for me to start a personal blog. I have been thinking of it as another way for our parents, siblings and friends to stay connected with us. A weekly or even “twice-a-week” phone call has been seeming insufficient ever since we returned from India. Leaving them all behind has been the saddest part of the return to the US. Listening to Cesaria Evora last night, I was struck by how far apart we’re from so many we love so much. She sings :

The sea is the home of nostalgia
It separates us from distant lands
It separates us from our mothers, our friends
Unsure if we’ll see them again

She is the one who popularized the music of Cape Verde, a small island caught between Africa and South America. The music is a beautiful amalgamation of the Portugese blues (fado), Brazilian jazz, pop and African rhythms.

I’m hoping that this blog is another way for me to tell the ones far away that we’re thinking of you and miss you.