Tiago Matos’ Nest

Yes it is…

Not “about to” but just finished!

I’m always happy when I found some money on the streets…

Yesterday and the day before yesterday I’ve found for two times 10 cents…

And even more incredible! For the first time I gave money away to these streets performers…

She was a laddy with a mouse as marionette making him dance Rock ‘n’ Roll! Lovely… some day I’ll post the video I made…

Big kisses,
Tiago Matos

Yesterday was a day to remember…

We had a big “Paella” in the “Centro Gallego” (Galician Association) and after “botellon” (get-pissed-in-the-streets) we headed to BA Hotel.

That was the last night of:

.Elise (Antwerp, Belgium)
.Elena (Italy),
.Antonio Juan (Cadiz, Spain),
.Felipe (Madrid, Spain/Nuremberg) and
.Tony(Seville).

Today I wen to to say goodbye with Andrea and Ximena to the parting train of Antonio Juan…

There were some commotion in everybody, I confess

It’s not a eternal “goodbye” AnJu is just a temporary “see you later”.

I think I already have a departing date…

Big kiss to all!

I had a kind of education that I think not many people had… being spoiled for being the only child through out all my childhood has some advantages…

My parents just planned to have one child, I don’t know why but that’s what they say to me… and I think they wanted to give that child the best opportunities they could and still can.

They always allowed me to take all kind of enterprises I wanted… of course for a 13 year old teenagger taking a bus from a small city as my home town in Vale de Cambra to the next city where there were swimming pools was a major accomplishment. And let’s not about going on a 60 km city to the real big city for enjoy one afternoon in the cinema eating popcorn and maybe spending 2 euros in some flippers or arcade games. Things that were incredible for who was living in a place without cinema, public swimming or event a decent library. It just boosts 4k inhabitants in the city itself.

More incredible was the fact that they always, almost forced me, to join them on every business trip they made… even if it was going to Vigo(Spain) to smuggle some candies and chocolates to Portugal before the open borders and free transit of goods or to visit their first supplier of chocolates in Belgium, when they almost didn’t have any company and probably no much money, when I had the age of 6.

My fathers recalls that they always tried to make the most indirect flight possible just because it was thrilling to me to take off and land. It seems incredible to me that they done that…Of course it was also cheaper ;/ I remember we often made a stop in Barcelona airport and I could play in a children playground full of tubes and plastic balls while see the planes taking off.

We also made incredible trips by car… the best one was Vale de Cambra - Milan in a Peugeot my father had for maybe 6 or 7 years. On the way back the transmission brokes while paying for the highway with a major blast “BUM”. The guy asks “Hey what was that?” and my father very relaxed “I don’t know, it wasn’t me…”

We had to drove from middle of France till Portugal without having 1st,2nd and 3rd shifts… you can just imagine it!Ah! And no 5th too

Almost every month we would go one weekend to Spain, specially Madrid and Barcelona… I almost knew the roads by heart… I always remember to pass the 3km tunnel

We were always eating sandwiches and small food like and even if I sometimes complained I would trade all fancy food I already eat in nice restaurants for one more time eating this bread with tuna fish.

My father always let me look at the maps and would always follow my instructions (if they were good instructions, of course :). I remember one time when because of my bad advice we lost one or two hours in a secondary road that I thought it would be better because the distance was shorter…

Why am I writing this old stuff on this kind of ERASMUS blog… well it’s obvious that I wouldn’t have this urge for traveling if it wasn’t because of my parents…

The first big trip I made was at the age of 18 from Portugal to Istanbul and back by train… I was so inexperience and afraid. Afraid of the people that would approach us because we look foreigners making and I made really bad decisions during the way… well it was a lovely trip!

Now that my biggest travel experience is almost over I just want to thank my parents for making me the way I am today.

Best luck for my little sister that had very recently her 3rd anniversary and that I miss very much!

Now is time to go back to work…

“Go on and close the curtains
cause all we need is candle light
You and me and a bottle of wine
going to hold you tonight
Well we know I’m going away
and how I wish, I wish it weren’t so
So take this wine and drink with me
let’s delay our misery

Save tonight
Save tonight
Save tonight
Save tonight”

The following email is the full message Juan sent… I just translate the last parts..

Beijos

//Email

Cuatro lagrimas que forman un llanto, cuatro suspiros que definen un adios.

ALBA:
Una vez un mediocre joven, de aquellos que en lugar de pensar en su futuro solo consiguen visionar una burbuja de cristal, enorme, vacia siquiera algunas veces llena de golosinas; llego a un lugar como este y conocio a gente como vosotros. La oscuridad cambio de color y por un dia decidio jugar a ser escritor vomitando sobre un sucio lienzo la precariedad de su alma de
papel mojado:

“Incluso el invierno mas oscuro acaba convirtiendose en poco mas que un charco bañado por la mirada del sol, y unos pocos recuerdos arrugados que malviven en los susurros ahogados de la noche. La muerte de la muerte es el nacimiento de una nueva vida. Y cuando la vida nace del lodo mas viscoso del pantano mas profundo, como el ave que renace de las cenizas, alberga en su
mirada el fuego eterno de la ‘voluntad de poder’; y la iracunda musica de su corazon recuerda a los tambores de guerra de temibles ejercitos que habitan minas profundas regidas por demonios. Los rayos del sol se abren paso entre las nubes con la irracional fuerza de los titanes. Una ardiente llovizna fulmina la asfixiante neblina que le vendia ceguera al infortunio. El antoño
desteñido prado grita ahora un intenso verde color vida; a veces se burla de la tristeza cubriendose con el vestido multicolor del otoño pirinaico, simple pasion por la belleza. Sin embargo, donde solo el musgo se atreve a crecer, el prado acoge una herida rellenada con barro. Una suave brisa, que transporta la fertilidad de un nuevo polen, acaricia la inmundicia gimiendo
un requiem a una flor que vivio alli una vez”.

ECLIPSE:
Aquel nuevo resplandor no duro mucho, la niebla volvio con el invierno. Se hacia mas y mas fuerte alimentandose del verde vida, de la ‘voluntad de poder’; mientras el pajaro de cenizas intentaba sobrevivir aletargado en una cueva helada, sobre la que solo llovian sombras irreales de un mundo horrible:

“Ayer despedi al verano, no olvide ni una mancha de carmin. Ayer la musica cantaba mas debil, la lluvia y el viento ensordecian su delirio.
Ayer nuevos arboles nacian de un suspiro; arboles marrones y grises, arboles muertos.
Ayer la ceniza cubria las pupilas de los niños, cegando con censura sus gritos vehementes”.

Y se hizo el silencio y la tristeza. Y vivio prisionero:

“Los gemidos de un grillo; el rumor periodico de un semaforo; la estridente erre de una Chopper que intenta ser domada por un desaliñado peludo que cree que morira siendo un niño; el piafar de una bicicleta que de farola en farola intenta sobrevivir en una ciudad que la odia; los desconsolados gritos de una mujer que, frente a un portal, lucha con las sombras para conservar su dignidad; las voces ilarantes de pequeños duendecillos que cinicamente intentan convencerte de que acabes con tu propia vida; afilados dientes de acero que predican la extorsion con la supervivencia como moneda de cambio; ebrios juglares que gritan himnos a la ignorancia vistiendo banderas como si de dandees se tratase, vendiendo su alma a la estetica, aunque sin
alcanzarla, capaces de eclipsar dos millones de años de evolucion; el piar del ruiseñor evocando con su sirena un mar de represion , y del jilguero, que volando a compaña a quien han querido echar de su cuerpo; el irritante temblor de tierra que provocan aquellos que con los altavoces de sus automoviles airean el foclore al que estamos condenados. Esta es la definicion de silencio, o almenos es el silencio minimo que necesitan para conciliar el sueño, recompensa a sobrevivir, aquiellos que viven prisioneros en una carcel en la que los muros son las personas, entre geometria y cemento.”

CLAUSURA:
¿Que ocurrio realmente?

“Erasmus es vivir durante un año como si murieras mañana. Erasmus es enamorarte del amor y amar como si jamas hubieras amado. Erasmus es sollozar con todas la puestas de sol como si cada una fuera la mas bella que has visto nunca. Erasmus es beber cada vez el ultimo trago. Erasmus es fingir que finges que no sabes no llorar. Erasmus es el sueño que recordaras siempre cuando despiertes. Erasmus es ser para la vida lo que ella es para ti”.

DERROTA:

Todos los años dejan atras sombras y luces, y quiza las sombras de este año hayan gozado de una intensa oscuridad; sin embargo las luces han sido deslumbrantes soles que edulcoraban las lagrimas por muy tragicas que fueran.
Asi, como despertando de un sueño con mis ojos saturados de agua de mar y con
una boba sonrisa dibujada en mi cara, os digo adios y os doy las gracias por
haber sido vosotros mismos y porque Nuremberg no es los edificios, Nuremberg no es
sus habitantes, ni las cocineras de ‘la mensa’ que sirven cinismo sobre bandejas de platino; Nuremberrg es Humberto, Nuremberg sois vosotros, somos nosotros todos juntos y ‘leider’ Nuremberg desaparecera este verano.

Espero que nuestra vida, por capricho o por necesidad, se digne a compartir otro de sus pedazos.

Un beso a todos.

PD: Si alguien tiene estomago para traducirlo a aleman o ingles y reenviarlo a los que faltan estare encantado

“Odio a todo el mundo, estoy lleno de mezquindad y rezo para que llegue una guerra nuclear”

Closure:

What really happened?

“Erasmus is living one year as if you’re going to die tomorrow. Erasmus is being in love with love and love as you had never loved. Erasmus is wail on every sunset as if it was the best you ever seen. Erasmus is drinking all the time the last sip. Erasmus is pretending you don’t know how to cry. Erasmus is the dream you will remember every time you wake up. Erasmus is giving back life what life gives to you.”

Defeat:

All the years leave behind shadows and lights and maybe this year’s shadow boosted a intense obscurity; furthermore those lights have been dazzling suns that enlightened the tears not mattering their tragedy.

So, like waking up from a dream with the eves filled up with sea water and with a silly smile drawn in my face I say goodbye to you and thank you all for really being just yourselves and because Nuremberg is not about buildings, Nuremberg is not their inhabitants, not even the “Mensa” women cooks that serve you cynicism on silver trays, Nuremberg is about Humberto, Nuremberg is about yourselves, it’s about all of us together and ‘leider’ (regrettably) Nuremberg will disappear on this summer.

This is an excerpt of Juan’s farewell email… it’s fucking heart breaking!

Friday is the day of the “official” farewell party because some people are already leaving…

Before anyone leaves I want to express my grattiude, for one of the best year I had in my life, to some of you:
Antonio Juan(Espanha, Cadiz)
Ana(Espanha, Barcelona)
Andrea(Espanha, Jerez de la Frontera)
Ana Cris(Espanha, Cadiz)
Andrea(Alemanha, Nuremberga)
Andreas(Alemanha)
Ben(Alemanha, Munique)
Carlo(Itália,Parma)
Carlo(Itália,Sardenha)
Carlos(Espanha,Cadiz)
Christian(Alemanha, Munique)
Christian(Bélgica)
Carina(Finlândia, Helsínquia)
Clemens(Alemanha, Munique)
Cláudia(Brasil, São Paulo)
Clarice(França, Estrasburgo)
Elena(Itália, Roma)
Yelena(México, Cidade do México)
Elise(Bélgica, Antuérpia)
Felipe(Alemanha, Nuremberga)
Fabian(Alemanha, Franconia)
Felix(Alemanha)
Guille(Espanha, Cadiz)
Gianni(Alemanha, Nuremberga)
Gonzalo(Uruguai, Montevideo)
Humberto(Espanha, Canárias)
Heidi(Finlândia, Turku)
Hanna(Polónia, Gdansk)
Juan(Espanha, Zaragoza)
Javi(Espanha, Valência)
Javi(Espanha, País Basco)
Jon(Espnha, País Basco)
Julio(Espanha, Cidade do México)
Jesus(Espanha, Cadiz)
Jonas(Bélgica)
Kika(Chile, Santiago)
Katy(Polónia, Varsóvia)
Laura(Espanha, Barcelona)
Luka(Polónia, Cracóvia)
Mariane(Polónia, Varsóvia)
Miriam(Dinamarca,Aarhus)
Maria Pina(Espanha, Barcelona)
Manu(Espanha, Sevilha)
Noemi(Espanha, Ponte Vedra)
Ola(Polónia)
Patri(Espanha, Valência)
Pablo(Espanha, Sanlucar)
Rodrigo(México, Aguas Calientes)
Sonia(Espanha, Astúrias)
Sarah(Alemanha)
Sarah(Alemanha, Berlin)
Tommy(Alemanha, Neuburger)
Thiago(Brasil, São Paulo)
Tiina(Finlândia, Helsinquia)
Tony(Espanha, Sevilha)
Tahnee(México)
Ulla(Alemanha)
Virginie(França, Estrasburgo)
Ximena(Uruguai, Montevideo)

(am I missing someone?)

and for all the others that in some way had an influence during my stay in Nuremberg…

H & K

…no sense of time….
…no sense of space…
…no sense of future…

From 3 to 11h.

What can it be?

There’s been some time since I write something on this Internet niche…

Well… as you know my friend Filipe was here for one week…

It was a pleasure to meet him and talk Portuguese once more… Nuremberg is not really as thrilling as Budapest but i hope Filipe had as much fun as me during his stay.

In fact on these days nothing really meaning full happened just some personal things…

I think I already know how to reach Portugal: by train. I’m going to buy my third inter rail ticket this August and use it to travel a little bit before going home around Germany.

Well, I’m in fact missing Portugal but not really so badly…

H & K

P.S. Well I’ve been having some very nice experiences with Couch Surfing. After the two Americans, Amy from Chicago came for the Carlo’s tram party and them Ramona from Halle came for an weekend and joined some parties with me and my friends.

Why don’t you check www.couchsurfing.com?