Sunday 12 December 2010

On my way to Luxembourg

Blog entry 12th of December 2010

It’s Christmas time! But I have to admit that I have yet to feel the exhilarating, joyful sparks that I felt when I was younger. And also since I mostly travel this whole November-December period – the homey Christmas feeling is hard to find… I’m on my way to Luxembourg, my first time there, and I’m really looking forward! Have heard great things about this small country were the capital and country share the same name (that is very convenient, by the way, easy to remember – more kings (or whoever decides the names?) should have thought of that!).

It’s an especially pleasant flight from Oslo to Copenhagen today. Very quiet and I have an amazing view out my window. A SAS crew member made my day with an upgrade, and I’m sitting here now trying to read a book I just bought (of course RIGHT now I’m writing this blog, but you know what I mean…). One by Terry Pratchett and it has a witch on the cover. It’s been a while since I read about witches and since I’m a maniac Harry Potter fan I felt that I needed some refuel on the wizard and witchcraft literature. And besides, I just loved the opening paragraph:

“Why was it, Tiffany Aching wondered, that people liked noise so much? Why was noise so important? Something quite close sounded like a cow giving birth. It turned out to be an old hurdy-gurdy organ, hand-cranked by a raggedy man in a battered top hat. She sidled away as politely as she could, but as noise went, it was sticky; you got the feeling that if you let it, it would try to follow you home.”

Just a brilliant way of describing… I’m almost certain I will enjoy this book.
I’ve been up to quite a lot since my last blog entry. The tour with the Trondheim Soloists went very well, I had a wonderful time both in the concert and on travel days ☺, always great to travel with people you know. Then at the beginning of this week I was in Kristiansand, I played a Christmas concert with the orchestra there. Great atmosphere and so many people showing up for the concert! And I also have to mentioned that it was absolutely great to meet up with Isa Gericke again, wonderful soprano and friend, who sings on my Christmas album that was released last year. Truly special that woman ☺

Yesterday I did a concert with my band, Tine Thing Helseth Quartet, and that is something I’m always looking forward too and always enjoys tremendously. Jarle, Aksel and Erik truly are great guys and when Morten joins the forces with his bass clarinet nothing can stop us… ha-ha ☺

Fasten-Seat-belt sign is on, so bye for now.
Just remember to look out for noises that want to follow you home…
Best from up in the sky,
Tine ☺