Writer's Blog

Wow...My congratulations to the film makers and producers of the documentary Under Our Skin as it just been announced it has been shortlisted for an Oscar as one of the 15 finalists competing for the “Best Documentary Feature” in the 82nd Academy Awards®.

When I first ordered the pre release DVD and watched with great emotion the heart wrenching stories of fellow Lyme sufferers and their battle with the medical profession it made me humble and hopeful. That one day their voices would be heard. That one day they would get the acceptance and recognition they so deserve.

I posted the link to the trailer about a year ago and as a doctor and a Lyme patient and a friend (I hope!), I am so proud of all that they have achieved.


Thank you for believing and for being on the front line. You are true Lyme Warriors. Perhaps now change will come...


Once again, here is the trailer...Watch it in a cinema near you.

Trust me, everything will be alright.
I do not have all the answers, in fact
I cannot predict the future.
But somehow it will all work out.

You have heard it all before.
I understand; you see in some ways
I am so much like you.
The doubts clouding, what the heart so desires.
You have known fear, bound to hesitate
To second guess the good and the bad,
As if you were never really deserving.
But let me tell you, you are. We both are.

I can see through your smile
The hidden tears and the old wounds.
But I cannot change the past, I cannot change
How I felt; we have to learn one way or another
To fall and pick up the pieces,
Which leads us to this exact moment.

As you read these lines, this sum of words
Something is happening, this force
Which has brought you here.
Our worlds colliding for better or for worse
And the reminder that someone loves you.

You see, there is something you possess
This spark, this way of knowing
What makes me tick, what makes me sad.
And even though we have been our separate ways
I cannot help these dreams.

And as I picture you smiling,
You let your guard down, knowing the truth
Which has touched your soul.
This time, we have nothing left to lose.



Janete Cabral Copyright 2003-2009

I have just bought the album Give up the Ghost and I think it is Brandi Carlile's best accomplished, vibrant and risk taking one. Lots of promise for this young singer and her amazing band. Her voice just draws you right in from the start, powerful, enticing and mesmerising. You can't help feeling moved by the lyrics and hunger for more once it all comes to a close. And for the less convinced fans out there, Sir Elton John contributes to the song Caroline...Not bad for an endorsement and musical contribution! She must have been star struck on meeting him I am sure.

There are too many songs to mention such as Before it Breaks, Pride and Joy and Dying Day that I fell in love with. I guess you will just have to trust me and listen for yourself. I was introduced to her music by a friend in 2005 and I have actually seen the band play on three different occasions, so I knew what to expect from this delicious and emotive composition.

They certainly seemed to have grown more confident as a band taking risks and venturing into unchartered territories of Dreams and Oh Dear which could not be more further apart in terms of vocals, rhythm, instrumentation and style, but instantly became audience favourites.

The album is out! Her influences range from J. Cash, Patsy Cline, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jeff Buckley and Elton John...

Dying Day is an unplugged version, which always sounds best when played to a live audience as showed in this amateur video shot in The Depot in Salt Lake City on the 10th september 2009. She has a lovely manner and engages her audience with fun and ease. The best thing though, I was there !!




This second one has been my favourite since she started playing in 2007 and has made it to this record. It is called Pride and Joy and it is beautiful.



And just because I had a fantastic time I will add this old and very engaging song called Turpentine.

After picking up the RV in San Leandro the road trip really kicked off. By the way Apollo RV Rentals were excellent and I would recommend them to anyone wishing to try it. The pricing was very attractive too. I was familiar with them in Australia and New Zealand, but they have only recently started business in the US. It was fun being a leather tramp for a week...


I navigated our way out of San Leandro and into Tahoe, too scared to drive the monster onto the freeway. The Bay Bridge had been closed for repairs and a lot of traffic and confusion was expected as it re opened but luckily we missed it all and arrived in South Lake Tahoe in good time.

We stayed in a KOA campground, which was about six miles away from Lake Tahoe itself but in a quiet forested area away from the far busier RV communities. The first priority was to find a food market which thankfully we did. In hindsight it would have been better to do it at the start of the trip rather than racing against time so that we didn't have to hook up in the dark. But you learn these things as you go along. Raley' s had the most beautiful fresh fruit selection and grabbed a few beef skewers and prawns to be cooked later.

The inside of the RV was bigger than some hotel rooms I have stayed in the past. After being set up we considered lighting the barbecue provided by the campsite but sadly we had no charcoal. Probably not a bad thing considering the number of bear sightings in the area after dark. I remember holding the torch whilst my friend went outside for a smoke, it was about then paranoia set in. It made us laugh with hysterics after wards. Truth is some of the campsites have seen black bears as many as four in four hours however it tended to be the ones closer to the Lake itself. Still one had to be cautious...and no other soul was seen outside their RVs after sundown.

However as they say if you see a black bear in the wild be thankful. I liked the quietness of the place and finally caught my breath up and thoughts after the madness of San Francisco. The double bed at the back was very comfortable and I can't call it roughing it .

The next morning after stocking up once again at Raley' s, I must confess I stopped for my double espresso in Starbucks...they are everywhere !

The drive along the Lake was beautiful even if it meant putting us back by a couple of hours. The steep inclines and vertiginous scenery made for a slow drive but certainly worth it. I have posted a couple of photos. We turned left in Truckee to rejoin the I 80 towards Reno. And you know you have crossed the state line into Nevada when casino and gambling ads start popping up everywhere. I posted a couple of photos taken from the road.

Labour Day Weekend was a very busy time to visit San Francisco, but it never lost its charm despite the masses of people and queueing. I had been there before so I happily crossed town on a cable car and took my time in Pier 39. It was a hazy day, the mist had come down after noon and covered the Golden Gate. We decided to take the ferry to Sausalito unaware of the Arts Festival and the bigger crowds of tourists and their bikes. It was amongst all the confusion that my wallet was stolen, right about the same time my friend first started to show the signs of food poisoning.

I suppose in every journey there are ups and downs. But this was just the start of our trip and I was not going to let it spoil it! I kept expecting for a third bad thing to happen but it never did.

San Francisco is a beautiful city, there is no denying it.

What a wonderful trip it has been. A lot of lovely sights and friendly folk, despite a wallet being stolen and a case of food poisoning at the beginning of the journey. From crowds in hotels in big cities to the vast empty spaces in the wilderness it has been a memorable time. I guess it really started as a road trip when I picked up the 31 feet Apollo RV from San Leandro and stared at it wildly as I was fast learning how to manoeuvre it. It really felt like an adventure about to start. I have written down the itinerary dates and will be posting some photos. More to come...


Day 1 -3 : San Francisco, California

Day 4: South Lake Tahoe, California ( 1st night in RV )

Day 5: Elko, Nevada

Day 6: Salt Lake City, Utah

Day 7: Fillmore, Utah

Day 8: Jacob Lake, North Rim Grand Canyon, Arizona

Day 9: Mesquite, Nevada ( hot, hot, hot !)

Day 10-12: Las Vegas, Nevada ( Treasure Island hotel, the lost hours... )

Day 13-14 : Los Angeles, California

Manchester Academy 2, 9th August 2009

Hello everyone,


It has been a while since I last posted. It has been very busy at work, commuting and long distances but I was also left recovering from a health problem for some time. All seems to be on track though.

In a way, I left my recording of my poem The Sea to simmer and marinate for a while and receive all the lovely feedback that it did. I just wish I had come back sooner. Thankfully nothing to stop me from regular posting.

The comments mean a lot to me, good and bad, and reminds me why I do it in the first place. I love writing. It inspires me and challenges me and I get to meet several other people through this very platform.

I am working in general practice part time now, left my sea days behind although not my passion for traveling. I am hoping to rent an RV in September and travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles via the Grand Canyon. The flight and a couple of hotels are booked so just waiting to hear from the rental company for confirmation. Nothing excites me more than the prospect of waking up to a sunrise overlooking the Grand Canyon. I am taking my camera and my mac with me.

Recently I went to see my parents in the Algarve. Sun, sea and a lot of fun. Even went to the Seafood festival in Olhão and saw Brandi Carlile live for the second time. It was a lovely weekend.

For those who don't know her, Brandi Carlile is a really talented singer and composer who has just finished promoting her second album The Story. Her new album Give up the Ghost is coming out in October. I love the albums but she excels in live concerts, what an amazing performer.

Well better post this before battery runs out.

Kisses

Janete

I have been writing poetry for a long time, but I have always been shy of reading it to friends and strangers alike. And I certainly do not like the sound of my own voice. However there is always a first, so I thought I would place it here. I used some footage and photos I took whilst sailing the South Pacific Ocean. Hope you like it.

Hello everyone!

I meant to be posting more regularly, however in the last week I succumbed to a bad cold... Yes, even doctors get ill.. The first one in two years so not doing too badly.... I tested a young child for swine flu and probably felt just as rough...The headache, the sore throat, the fever and muscle aches..not to mention the annoying cough and sneezing. Good news though as this means my body is finally fighting viruses off and beating the Lyme.

And I seem to be past the worse thankfully and will be returning to more regular posting.

Janete xx

Alexander Supertramp, i.e Christopher McCandless wrote this in his journal prior to his death:


"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future.

The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greather joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."

I have only been a couple of times to the Isle of Pines, but thought I would post a few photos.

His voice is perfection, just love it ! His early death was a big loss to us all.

Another beautiful performer, the very evocative Damien Rice