BeautifulBurnout!

sanblaster · #1 04-17-2010, 04:51 PM

I still remember late September 2007, in my last week in The Netherlands. For the last year I'd been living there enjoying the laid back way of life of The Hague. I would only know about public transportation in the few times I flew to Spain or somewhere else to have my holidays because the city was designed to be traveled by bicycle. My job was only 8 minutes away from home, a cozy little studio in a gorgeous little street. In short, I was living a very comfortable life, not luxurious, not difficult at all.

As many good things in life, it had to come to an end. I had a one year, non extendable contract and it was time to consider what to do next. Me and my girlfriend (she was in Madrid at the time) decided to move to southern England and try our luck there.

Jane and I have been friends since the summer of 2004, when we met in Heathrow after I missed my flight connection from Spain to the US. Since then we have shared a lot of moments, from my first gig in the UK (Prodigy at the Brixton Academy, absolutely wicked) to many visits over the summertime. I was delighted to see how well she and her family got along with my girlfriend, and nearly every time I phone my parents they ask me about them. I have fond memories of the time I came back from shopping with this Everton tee I bought and she said "oh.... fabulous!" in that endearing british manner, she being a Liverpool fan(I didn't know about the Everton-Liverpool rivalry back then, by the way :P), or when I told her about how I didn't remember much of a Primal Scream gig because "I wasn't paying attention" and she burst into laughter much to my surprise (lost in translation I guess!).

Jane came over to The Hague on the last Friday in September 2007 with her car, driving all the way down from Surrey through France, Belgium and The Netherlands and we were leaving on Sunday morning. She helped me stack up all my belongings in her mitsubishi and drove all the way back home, when she and her family would allow us to stay until we found a place for ourselves. During that time Blanca and I would be filled with uncertainty, in a new country, new customs and traditions, with no job, etc... and we would feel rather fortunate to live in a family atmosphere for those early days in the UK.

My point is, for all of you who don't know her personally, that is the kind of person Jane is. I have left a lot of recollections but I think you may get an idea.

Happy birthday Jane!

xxx