About Rose: I grew up in Singapore, lived in Melbourne but currently call London home. I love gastronomic adventures, especially while travelling. I stated writing at 17 to remember how it all began.
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18 March 2009
wednesday; 11.48pm
Sometimes a particular smell, song or thing fully encapsulates a moment so well that when it occurs again in the future you hold you breath for a very instant because it evokes such a fond and familiar memory. They can be deeply personal or simply sweet but they are those pearls that only happen every so often and never with intent – it comes and goes and lingers at best but it is transient as it is lovely.
I met up with Dave in Barcelona this past weekend (okay so plans to stay the weekend in the Hague didn't work out) who had been travelling in France and was going be in Spain before making his way to Morocco . It was the second day of us discovering the architecture, food and everything else Barcelona had to offer. We were at Gaudi’s Parc Guell, taking in the views of Barcelona from atop and walking through the many garden paths. On our way down from Parc Guell, we were looking at postcards from a souvenir store and as we laughing and talking I heard a lilting tune and stopped in my tracks. I ducked into the store and recognised that deep voice that was crooning- “I think it’s Chet Baker”. Dave gave me a blank look, he either didn’t know who Chet Baker was or (more probably) didn’t care. The song played on and I listened on intently for the words and I told Dave to memorise bits of it so I could find out what song it was after. I manage to scrounge for a pen from my back and I scribbled words of the song into the pages of my Moleskine notebook.
It turns out that it was indeed Chet Baker. That song will always evoke memories of the warm sun on my back, the company of a good friend, a table full of tapas, the undulating rooftop of Gaudi’s La Pedrera, paella when we were starving and constantly getting lost on the streets of Barcelona. The photos don’t encapsulate the laughter or joy for a friend’s good news but it’s all there- in the glint of the sun, the roaring stadium at a soccer match or the wide smiles and funny faces.
"Hide your heart from sight, Lock your dreams at night, It could happen to you. Don't count stars or you might stumble. Someone drops a sigh and down you'll tumble" -chet baker, it could happen to you
