Daily Joanna #3

Daily Joanna #2

Trying to wake up.
Falling asleep standing up straight.
The wall.
Not really succeeded.
Zombie face galore.


Yesterday:
Makeover?
Wind in neck
and no tussle-dangle-frizz hair.
Ah, the life as a short-haired girl.
Perhaps?

Daily Joanna #1

I am looking for a new way to get out of bed in the mornings - perhaps the mission of a Daily Joanna could make it, along with strong coffee and Spotify? Lets hope so ;)

Here goes Joanna as of today
xo

I think I need to explain myself:
I am embracing my inner silliness. Lets see how long this lasts. Not to be confused with an enormous Ego-trip, this is more of a journey of self exploration in wardrobe-land. And a training session-series in silly posing...and one more reason to laugh. It´s been an overdose of America´s next topmodel lately. It is spring and one is only a sherry-hearted girl.

...And add a Note: I am still a serious MA student and researcher in Art History. You just haven´t seen all the pre-iconographic and semiotic layers to be deconstructed in this project yet...

Project Dedication: To the love of my life HMC who (by geographical reasons) most days only sees this Joanna on web cam, typing away on her thesis, too concentrated to get up from her chair.

Final pledge: Eh, Lords of good coffee, please give me one more cup of coffee?

This is a song, there is a melody, not yet totally sung out.

I will remember you

As night falls,

Until day breaks anew

I will be there

To watch you fall from greatness to fragility

And daybreak you

Help you

As if you where a shining star

Even a supernova

Climb up to see you fly

Even ever after

And the day after that

Climb up and further

We know we have to fall

Keeping us warm,

Not an ordinary miracle

will take me from the shoulders of faith

Life has been here

for a while now for me to know,

It should snow

There is love

There is sun

And a moon

And also a puddle

with roses in mud

Will you fold your pockethands away for me

Will you be bend back time for me

Make me feel like it was still yesterday

When yesterday let me live by your shoulder

And the breeze was a light shower

Of you

Cuentos del pasado futuro

¡Acabo de leer que el café protege contra cancer de piel! Ojalá que llueva café en el campo. Nos tomamos un cafecito tipo finlandés, mi amor, lo tomamos sentados en mi cocina, y después preparamos nuestras mochilas para ir a entregarle su carta en persona al señor Mohammed. Así será, así haré, con mi chalina de Marruecos puesta. Que bellísimo es el mundo, mi amor, de verdad, de verdad.

Llegando a Finlandia no pasé frío nunca por que mi piel quemaba del sol del Perú. Aquí todo es blanco, variedades de blanco, texturas de blanco, luz que revienta en mi anillo, parece un cuento de hadas, un mundo helado, paciente, descansando en secreto. Quién sabe sí jamás volverá a descongelarse, quién sabe, quién sabe.

Ojalá que llueva, por que la lluvia derrite todo, la lluvia de abril huele a flores azules y amarillas y así vendrá la explosión de color, de amor, de primavera. Los niños cantan en las calles afuera de sus colegios, cantan: "Vintern rasat", - el invierno ha caído-, con fuerza, de golpe, parecido a las explosiones que surgen cuando el mar se deshace del hielo, de los 30 centímetros forzados encima de él, los bloques de hielo se juntan, corren, vienen hacía la orilla y allí se quedan, amontonándose, formando montes pequeños, hasta que el sol calienta todo y el nivel del mar sube un rato, por todo el hielo que ahora forma parte de ella, que le alimenta después tantos meses de coma.

Nos iremos a África, mi amor, a entregar esa carta a Mohammed en Rue el Kadi, el señor que fabrica sombreros, que fuma marihuana, que conversa con viajeros y mochileros y sueña con Granada, el imperio mozárabe y patios de naranjas en el gran Andaluz.

Le escribiremos de la nieve, adjuntamos la leyenda de la última fortaleza de su mundo en el otro continente, que una vez fue suyo y ahora es imperio de las turistas. Le entregaré la carta que un viajero quiso que el tenga, un agradecemiento por una conversación transcendental, una fotografía de 2005 y una prueba de que más allá de las montañas hay los recuerdos de su pasado, de su nación orgullosa, y un mundo blanco, que el sabe que jamás verá por que a él le tocó coser sombreros y hablar con viajeros en una casita azul con una puerta muy pequeña pero siempre abierta.

Momentos del río Momón

Next

Wishes for 2009

I hope to complete my Master of Arts degree successfully
I hope to find a fulfilling fulltime job
I hope to return to Peru
I Hope to stay healthy
I hope to be together with the love of my life
I hope to be creative in new ways
I hope to be truthful to myself, always

New Year

To celebrate the arrival of 2009 I would like to look back at the past year.

January: Travelled to the north of Peru and met my boyfriend´s family, started painting to feel better with very good results, had a lot of hopes and plans for the coming year and felt stressed about how to make it all happen.

February: Partied a lot at the beach, moved in with Ceci for a few weeks, got two wisdom teeth extracted, moved to a new hippie house, celebrated a year of love.

March: Partied some more at the beach, organized an important communications meeting at my NGO, freelanced about Chan Chan, went to the dentist a lot. Stayed at Hectors house in the suburbs during weekdays because my new house was a bit too hippy.

April: Started preparing for my expo and thesis investigation, had many health exams done.

May: Worked hard on the ARO annual report, went a lot to the dentist and to a lot of doctors, did Herbalife for a month, worked verylate during weekdays.

June: Worked hard on the ARO annual report, curated a expo for a Peruvian friend, did freelance photo commissions in Lima, worked on my thesis, went to the gym a lot, read a lot about ALC-UE, looked for a thousands of jobs in Lima for 2009, wanted to go as a journalist to Cuba and the rainforest but decided to do so the next time around in Lima. Instead, I focused on my show and my thesis. Got my cellar phone stolen. Got a job that I turned down. Went a lot to the "dangerous" downtown to have my prints done.

July: Got my first business card done, Inaugurated my first solo exhibition, freelanced about Peruvian cuisine, gathered the final thesis material, cried a lot, bought presents, flew to Barcelona, loved Gaudi, reencountered with Patti. Realized what I wanted for the coming year in Finland and for us.

August: Missed Hector terribly, worked at the local newspaper, did translation work for a peruvian friend, prepared to move. Looked for jobs and scholarships in Finland for my boyfriend.

September: Worked some at the newspaper, celebrated a calm birthday, moved in with friends in Turku, threw a birthday party and started my MA seminars, stayed at friends´ summer houses, visited Charlotta in Helsinki, did MA thesis interviews, met new friends, enjoyed Finland a lot. Learned to cook new dishes.

Oktober: Presented my first thesis advance, partied a la Bollywood. Understood that my boyfriend needs to be in Lima now, and I in Finland.

November: Passed my last and most difficult exam ever after having failed once, was at uni a lot, wrote freelance articles about Barcelona and Combi Culture. Struggled a lot with my thesis and how to structure and focus it. Went to Poland for vacations. Was confirmed that I need brackets and a jaw operation.

December: Presented my methodological thesis advance, completed my advanced salsa class of the fall, tried afro dance, worked freelance, was selected for a group exhibition in Helsinki, enjoyed Christmas in Turku and a day in Helsinki, spend Christmas at home with my family and my Peruvian friends who came to visit. Went to the polar circle. Thought it was veryvery dark. Got a tax return, hallelujah!


What I learned in 2008:
To know when it is time to go home
that nothing compares to good health
that I can do anything
how to stand up for what is right
and how to correct what is wrong
how to be more efficient
how to focus on one thing at the time
how to lower the expectations and be realistic about time
how to save a lot of money cutting down on small things
that travelling is always investing
to love family above everything and stay in touch
that friendship is a treasure
to relax a lot at the beach
to trust
to feel excellent about myself
to learn to accept people´s behaviour and my own
to forgive quickly
to know the laws of attraction

And above everything, that hard work pays off and that planning is always worth it (know what you want, make a plan, start working and get there) and to keep trying all though you get turned down. If it does not work out, it is because the time has yet not come. Like surfing, life comes in waves you will learn to ride when you dive into them.

Come beautiful 2009 for me to live.

It has existed in some form ever since
Cut my lips in flowering tears
And bend me backwards into rain

It has been there in some form ever since
Made mi crawl in dust
and dance into rain, or mud or forests

All I know is that it has been me, been us
Been you, together,
for as long as I can remember
It is a force now slumbering
for greater deeds
for other times

[Come back to me,
you flew like a bird
from my tree
Now it is so silent]

Summer still - Summer Heart