I've started making pink felt roses on public transport (I can make twelve on the 707 between Bilk and the Haubtbahnhof).
Tonight after I sat down on the train home from Arnheim in the Netherlands, this man immediately said, "Oh how lovely are your roses!" So we started chatting, and then I gave him an invitation to my opening event. Finally I asked if he'd like to make a rose. Rafael happily agreed. He made one and then spent the rest of his journey making roses with me. I have his photo, too, very proudly holding a rose. Just before he departed, he asked me to take a photo of him with his camera. He held the whole bunch of eighty five roses.
Rafael told me a wonderful story about his grandmother who made flowers out of sweets wrappers in Warsaw. He said that making my roses made him think of his grandmother, and he spoke of how her influence was coming through in his style of rose making. Rafael is a serious contemporary dancer. He is based in Amsterdam although he's been working in Germany. He gave me a leaflet for the next project he is in which will tour the Netherlands.
Finally when I went to the door to get off, an older man who was sitting serveral rows back said 'Thank you...thank you for having such an enjoyable journey...." I couldn't believe it! He was so sweet. At first I thought he was being sarcastic, so I just kept staring at him, smiling inanely. But I think he genuinely meant it because he said "Thank you" again, and then he kept beaming back at me.
I had a most memorable evening making roses on the train with Rafael.
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