I have been haunting our post box daily for over two months waiting for a parcel slip for something sent by airmail from Estonia, and could hardly contain my surprise when it finally arrived. Presumably, after reaching Johannesburg in two days, it was then sent on by an all-stations oxwagon, in keeping with all the other marvellous services currently provided in South Africa. (Actually, I think it had something to do with unpaid aircraft fuel bills or strikes or both.)
Anyway, the contents were the latest CD (seen bottom centre) of the multi-talented Mart Sander, titled Bella Italia, in which he and his swing orchestra perform, with him as one of three vocalists, numbers like Oi Mari and Ciribiribin. I played it right through with enjoyment the minute I opened the parcel – lovely light listening. That, I had expected.
What came as a lovely surprise was a set of prints of his portraits of thirty great composers. I had, actually, contributed by way of editing the English versions of the trilingual captions on the back, but at twenty or so words per portrait that wasn’t much labour, and I hadn’t really expected to receive a set!
What was rather more midnight-oil stuff was editing the hour and a quarter length of one of his stage plays, Behind the Random Denominator, with the direly short deadline of two days if it were to be considered for the 2015 productions in the world’s largest solo theatre festival Off Broadway in New York. I made it, he made it, and it made it: it was accepted and appears in September. Yay!
Now I am waiting with bated breath for his novel, The Goddess of the Devil (which I reviewed here), to find worldwide distribution.
Colonialist's Blog 
So glad your packet finally got delivered. I’m still waiting for my birthday card which was posted in the USA nearly 9 years ago. 😕 Well done on the editing. You’ll have such a great feeling when that book comes out. I can just imagine you grinning from ear to ear as you listened to your long awaited ‘Bella Italia’ CD.
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I would say your b’day card has perhaps gone to the wrong planet.
I am ever so impatient for Mart to be taken on by an acceptably reputable publisher. Wish I could take a little trip to NY to see the play – at least that has a definite date!
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Sometimes life delivers nice surprises, in your case right to your doorstep. Not too long ago I bought a gorgeous hat on Ebay and when the box arrived, I found the seller had included three others hats I had admired for free. I guess I need to get more hatboxes to accommodate the additions to my collection. Very cool portraits – I just love that sort of thing. My mother collects postcards from the Victorian era and you find all sorts of treasures in those boxes!
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Sounds rather interesting. Hope the CD was worth waiting for.
Oxwagon… I like that. I can see it now… guy toddling through the brush on a cart pulled by oxes, chewing on (what the hell is he chewing on, anyway? …Nevermind.) Anyway… Oh yea, sunhat on, made of straw… (That’s what it is, he’s chewing on straw.) Finally comes across some sort of civilisation and starts talking to his oxen, ‘Ooh, hang on that reminds me. I got a cd wrapped up somewhere for someone in these parts. If I’m luck, I might just catch him in… at least, I hope so. Would hate to leave in the hands of those bloody fliers who can’t decide what day they’re going to fly on, IF, the plane doesn’t break down. Can’t beat an old ox, can ye boys, hey?… At it lads!’
Good thing he did catch you in. 😀
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Yay! Glad that the postman finally rang the bell with your anticipated package and that you had the time to enjoy Bella Italia.
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Worth the long wait!
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Quite an outstanding collection!!
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It is, indeed. I can’t imagine how he finds time to do all that he accomplishes.
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Man, I had not heard those titles since the 60s (when I was still in Italy).
Not really my type of music other than it brings back memories from a long time ago.
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Some of those are really dated – but I must say I vastly prefer them to the greater portion of what is currently celebrated.
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