Christmas in Spain

Xmas 2009 - All of us, Marisol & I (from Stanstead), Manjeet & Almu (from Austin via Madrid), and Anil (also from London) made our different ways to Laredo, and joined up with Montse, Pirre (from Mallorca) and his gang Alba (from Bilbao) and Marco (from Valladolid) to spend christmas together at our 'chateau' near the beach with Angel and Nelly and the rest of the family including Pablo from Madrid. How we all managed to get here with so much snow everywhere is a miracle indeed. With so many flights cancelled even from Madrid, we all arrived more or less as planned and were delighted to find that this one spot in Europe was still enjoying virtually summer weather.
Here are some pictures from the Christmas evening dinner and soon we will post more from the trip.
Thanks for all the calls on 24th and 25th from Guddi (US), Popy(Sydney), & Pochin (Uruguay) and we also talked to Mom and Dad and Pammi in Delhi. Techonology - its great..however our Interconnection could not handle Skype very well...so the video links were not so successful.
Merry Xmas - and a Happy New Year shortly!
Dicki and the whole group of Bawas and Cavias here in Spain.

Castellano
Navidad 2009 - todos nosotros Marisol y yo (desde Stanstead), Almu y Manjeet (Austin via Madrid), Anil (Londres), llagamos a nuestro 'chateau' en Laredo desde nuestras variadas locaciones y reunimos con Pierre (Mallorca), Alba (Bilbao), Marco (Valladolid), Pablo (Madrid), Angel y Nelly. Como pudimos llegar aqui con tanta nieve por todo alrededor es un milagro. Con tantos vuelos cancellados todavia llegamos mas o menos como planeado, y sorprendidos por las tempraturas muy agradables que encontramos en esta zona en medio de tanto frio y caos.
Aqui teneis unas fotos de la fiesta de Navidad en casa de Angel y Nelli, y tambien unas fotos del grupo desayunando. Pondremos mas fotos aqui mas adelante.
Gracias por todas las llamadas durante 24 y 25, de Guddi (US), Popy(Sydney), y Pochin (Uruguay) y nostros tambien hablamos con mis padres y Pammi en Delhi - que maravilla la technologia...aun que el Skype no funcciono muy bien con la coneccion que tenemos aqui.
Feliz Navidad y un Prospero 2010 (que ya viene) a tod@s!
Dicki y todo el grupo de Bawas y Cavias aqui en Laredo!

US and the Halloween Parade in New York

I was in the US last week to bid farewell to my numerous friends and colleagues, and stayed over the weekend to get a taste of the famous Halloween Parade in New York.


The fall colours were spectacular as the couple of photos from Pennsylvania above will confirm

More photos from the parade

And the Parade was fantastic..I arrived in New York early and spent a couple of hours at Moma, walked the length of Manhattan (twice - about a 100 blocks in total) before ending up at the Spring Street start point of the Parade. I was early, and many thought that I was dressed in costume (perhaps as a terrorist) for the Parade, and asked if they could take my photo. Later all the surrounding streets were closed off to cars and you had to be registered to come into the parade area, which was also closed off to the public. But I was already in!
Later when Jasvinder (the sis) and Birinder (B-I-L) arrived, there was nowhere to park..so Birinder had to drive around for an hour, while I sneaked Jasvinder into the area where everyone was preparing to start the parade. A policeman on duty, let me back in, because I had made sure that he would remember me, while I left the area briefly to meet up with Jas.
We had the wildest time, took lots of pics which you can see by using the link for 'More photos'.
Later we caught up with the roving Birinder and headed for the most amazing meal at the Rosa Mexicano on Columbus Avenue. We entered wearing our masks (Brinder had his up-side-down! but still looked ferocious), and caused quite a commotion. Normality returned when we revealed that we had a reservation! And we were led to perhaps the best table in the restaurant.
Later at home we even managed to catch up with the third game of the world series which the Yankees won, thus making J and B really happy!
What a day!!

More photos from the parade

Lil Brother - Big Brother (Pammi in Epsom)

Pammi&Chanda....................Pammi at home
last year..............................19th September 2009

Last week Pammi was back in London for a conference and we got to see him again! I can get used to that. But not before the most amazing coincidence. Pammi and I were making our way to Epsom from different directions on Friday 18th.
I was headed back after Marisol's exhibition in Leeds (See next story below) by train, and there was a delay of one hour because of some accident on the tracks. When I boarded the train to Epsom at Vauxhall I sent Pammi a text message as previously agreed. Here follows the transcript of the message sequence.....
Me: 5.30 Getting on the Epsom train at Vauxhall
Pammi: Just left Waterloo on the Dorking train
Me: So you are just behind. U did not pass Vauxhall yet?
Pammi: If its the first stop after Waterloo then yes passed it
Me: Then we are on the same train! Which car from the back? I am in the 3rd from the back.
Pammi: What? on the same train? Weird man. I am in the 2nd last or last, not sure.
Me: I will try and move down the train. Its packed. Definitely see you at Epsom

And a couple of hops in and out different train carriages, we found each other!!

And spent a lovely few hours together.

Marisol at the Leeds College of Art

We were in Leeds last week for the inauguration of Marisol's latest exhibition at the Leeds College of Art and Design, and I can tell you that it was stunning! The hair piece which was made in China and made a trip to London in my luggage, was beautiful. So was the I-Myself installation of eyes from every year of Marisol's life. To top it all the video from 'Forgotten Languages' was projected along an entire side of the college cafeteria.
My favourite story is that there was a flyer in distribution, the entire sheet proclaiming Marisol Cavia's exhibition at the college, with a photo and a description, and at the foot of the sheet in small letters there was this note: 'Also a set of prints of Chapman Brothers'!!
Marisol is the main attraction. The curator Terry Jones wrote to say
'The show looks great – The students have all returned today and there was a big crowd looking at the hair'
More at Marisol's website marisol.co.uk

Batalla de Flores, Laredo, Spain, 28 August 2009

More photoos of the preparation - Mas photos dela preparacion
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marisolcavia/sets/72157622250924560/
We were back in Laredo for the Batalla de Flores in Laredo, and this year the authorities asked Marisol to be judge. This was hard work for her and for me, the photographer and umbrella holder..On the day of the Batalla, even google.es was decked out in flowers!
Above some photos of the work on the night before and below the real batalla procession in video.

Estabamos de vuelta en Laredo para la Batalla de Flores, y esta vez las autoridades invitaron a Marisol para formar parte del juzgado. Mucho trabajo, tanto para ella como para mi, el fotografo y el portador del paraguas! Hasta el Google.es estaba hecho con flores este dia.
Arriba fotos del trabajo de noche anterior y por la manyana del dia dela batalla, y abajo el video dela procesion.



If you cant see the video, try the link below to Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrLqJWXMICg

regards,
Arvinder.

Pelayo Fernandez Arrizabalaga plays jazz at the private view of his new exhibition

Pelayo Fernandez Arrizabalaga plays jazz at the private view of his new exhibition of paintings, at the Espiral Gallery in Meruelo, Spain..August 2009

Pelayo Fernandez Arrizabalaga toca jazz por la ocasion de la inauguracion de su expo de nuevos cuadros, en la Galeria Espiral en Meruelo, Spain..Agosto 2009



If having difficulty viewing click on link below to see the youtube directly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKxYd9X-iaM

Regards..

Concert of Bells Ringing

A concert of Bells ringing in the valley of Meruelo, in Cantabria Spain.
Llorenc Barber, Montserrat Palacios and their friend Karina Serrano held this concert at the small barrio of Vierna in the valley of Meruelo, near Santander and Laredo.

A video of the concert is attached below....

Warm Nights in Laredo - SanRoman

Click here to see more photos: Pincha aqui para ver mas fotos

Its August 2009, we must be in Laredo!!

Here are a few pictures from a dinner at Laredo, where everyone had to don a wig!

Es el Verano de 2009 y estamos otra vez en Laredo

Unas fotos de la cena en SanRoman, donde todos teniamos que ponernos las pelucas!!
Click here to see more photos: Pincha aqui para ver mas fotos

Longshore Drift at Shoreham Beach - 9/8/9

Marisol and I participated in the Longshore Drift, on Shoreham Beach, an art event organised by our London Biennale friend Katie Sollohub. Marisol organised a Talisman making contest and held consultations where questions were answered using a book, in this case a Rabindranath Tagore novel! And I had live posts into Facebook with pictures and also to Twitter, to bring the art world into the twenty first century!

Pammi in the news

Tee Off in Style..hosted by Visit Britain's Paramjit Bawa!!
Click here to read story in the Hindustan Times

This was obviously a big event!
And Pammi looks a lot more presentable than the British High Comm Sir Richard

Congratulations and well done P.

Ecos de Lorca

A music and poetry recital inspired by the poems of Federico Garcia Lorca by the Valencian Choir: Orfeo Veus Juntes
At the Willesden Green Centre in London on 24th July. Organised by Lorenzo Belenguer.
A truely memorable concert which had elements of drama, emotion, music, dance and much more.
A few seconds from their presentation, video taken from my seat. Apologies for the breaks!!

Official Photos from Wedding of Manjeet and Almu

You all will be pleased to know that the official photos from Manjeet and Almu's wedding in Madrid last month are in (all 1221 of them). Dont panic..I have selected a few and put them on Flickr.

Click here to see the photos!

Las fotos oficiales de la boda de Manjeet y Almu estan ya disponibles (todas 1221 de ellas). No se precupen, porque he seleccionado unas pocas y las pueden ver

Hagan click aqui para verlas!

Many regards y muchos besos de

Dicky y Marisol.

Michael Jackson

Sad news...
Let me tell you all my story of meeting MJ once in London a couple of years ago....
I was in the foyer of the Photographer's Gallery in London, near Leicester Square, on the phone to Anil, and a limo stopped in front of the building
Out jumped two guys from Matrix, with dark glasses and microphones and headsets, and looked around for a few seconds, then this darkly dressed short figure slowly emerged and walked into the gallery. As he passed he stopped and looked at me and said 'I love your turban, man'
Now I am not much of a MJ fan, and I had to think for a second to pay back a compliment on his dancing routines.
Anil said on the phone, 'who are you talking to?', and when I said MJ, he said 'you must be joking'
So I said to Anil, 'No Joke - here you say hello', and extended the mobile to MJ, who said something like 'hi' to Anil!!
and he was gone into the gallery.
Sad news indeed.

Pippa, Vanessa and Doug in London

Click on pictures to see them larger
June 2009 saw the first trip to London by Pippa accompanied by mum Vanessa, dad Doug, grandma Arlene, to visit uncle and aunt in London at the birth of their son Geoffrey.
We took the opportunity to meet the whole family and spent some time with Vanessa and Pippa.
Have a look at Pippa's video below, which we are hoping to keep somewhere to show Pippa when she is twenty!!



If it wont play then try going to the youtube website by clicking below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84NI1onYj1w
Regards.

Liliana and Carlos - music on a summer's eve

Open art studios at Liliana and Carlos's studio in the basement of the family home, turned into a marvellous music evening when Liliana and family sang some 'buleares de donosti' and an Englishman known as El Maestro Roger, picked up his guitar and played the most beautiful Flamenco guitar. Watch the video below!!



If it wont play then try going to the youtube website by clicking below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4UtJbtjbEA

Regards.

Congratulations Manjeet & Almu - wedding 6th June at 6pm

More photos from Alba/ Mas fotos de Alba

Here are the first pictures from Manjeet and Almu's wedding thanks to Maria, Alba and Valen.
More photos when they become available.
Great, wonderful, all the superlatives. We all looked great, Manjeet and Almu looked fantastic and Marisol and I in Indian attire.
The dinner afterwards was really good and we need to diet for a few weeks!

Marco, Alba, Pirre and Montse came..also Pablo, his brother Valen, and Marisol´s aunt Consu and aunt Montse from Laredo, and their husbands joined us. All of Almu's sisters and her brother were there with their partners.

I made my speech about the Sikh culture (Speech Text), which was very well received..The priest had lived in Maracaibo, and we talked for hours over dinner as he was on our table. Also we found that we had mutual friends with Almu´s God parents, and the priest was a friend of one of Marisol´s cousins from Ciudad Rodrigo.

So many great memories, new family, and everything worked out as Manjeet and Almu would have wished.
Regards,
Arvinder (or Dicki)

More photos from wedding by Alba/ Mas fotos de la boda por Alba
Spanish
Aqui teneis las primeras fotos que me ha mandado Maria traves de Manjeet.
Fantastico, maravilloso, enorme, superlativo!! y eramos todos guapisimos..Manjeet, Almu, Marisol, Manolo y Marisol y yo en ropa India.
La cena despues era maravillosa, y ahora tenemos que hacer dieta para una semana!
Marco, Alba, Pirre y Montse vinieron desde Laredo y Mallorca. Tambien tios Consu/Carlos y tios Montse/Valen, Pablo y la familia Valentin por supuesto.
Yo tenia que hacer un discurso sobre la boda en la cultura Sikh (Texto de discurso), y fue bien recibido aun que el sistema de sonido en la iglesia no era muy bueno. Lo repeti durante la cena despues.
El padre (priest) estaba en nuestra mesa, y habia vivido en Venezuela y una temporada en Maracaibo. Pasamos horas hablando de las experiencias, y el tambien conocia un primo de Marisol de Ciudad Rodrigo! que casualidad!
Los padrinos de Almu tambien conocian Laredo, y discubrimos que teniamos muchos amigos mutuales con ellos. Tio Carlos y el recordaban haber saludado en Laredo! Que pequno es el mundo.
Cuantas memorias buenas, una nueva familia, muchos cuentos y todo salio como Manjeet y Almu habian planificado.

Un abrazo
Dicki (o Arvinder)

Arvinder's Speech on Oriental Culture Texto de Discurso de Dicki sobre Culturas Orientales