wednesday.

I went downtown to buy X-mas presents today. Got a wall calendar for my mom from the arts and crafts shop I follow on Instagram, located at the other end of the city. She has produced the calendar herself, from drawing all the illustrations to printing to cutting, it's all homemade. I wanted to support a small, local business, so that's why I ended up buying that - plus, my mom specifically asked for one. This artist specialises in buildings and draws historical buildings around Aarhus, her style is very minimalistic, yet extremely detailed. It's difficult to explain. I'll try to find one of her illustrations online at some point...

Furthermore, I went to another local arts business, a ceramics shop, and bought a teacup for my friend, S., for X-mas. It's kind of a tradition that I buy her teacups and mugs, different ones, for her birthday and X-mas, usually green... This one is pink-ish, so I hope she'll like that one as well. I'm considering throwing in one of my own books that was going to go to storage as well, but I'm not sure... It's an anthology of 100 queer poems and considering where she is in life right now, I thought she'd appreciate it. We'll see. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Might save it for her birthday in January.

Last, but not least, on my way home, I visited my old work place to talk to my former mentor and let her know that I have gotten on disability and that I'm hopeful about the future. She was very happy for me and we had a cup of tea while just talking things over. It was really nice turning it all upside down with someone else, get it all aired. I loved working there, although it was tough some days. I wanted them to know I've landed in a good place, I think.

Tonight I watched La Sylphide again for the first time in years. It's an old version I have on DVD, from the late 80s, with Nikolaj Hübbe as James, Lis Jeppesen as the Sylph and Sorella Englund as Madge. Quality production, but unfortunately nowhere near as pretty as either of the two more recent ones Hübbe has staged over the past ten years. I miss the black and white version like burning, but I'd even take the most recent pink carnage over the costumes in the one I watched tonight. Gastly. But I love the dancing and Hübbe is an incredibly strong James opposite an equally incredibly strong Madge. Worth the rest.

And I just love the Effy in this version, too. Before I saw Kizzy Matiakis, she was my favourite and continues to have a very special place in my heart.

If you have an hour, because it isn't a very long ballet, treat yourself to this little tragic fairytale. It's a part of the Danish national cultural treasure for a reason.

Watch on YouTube