h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A few weeks ago I was intrigued by a posting of someone at h2g2.
And because of that I read his/her personal entry.

In a clourful description I could read some activities, passions and postings of this I-am-here-to-enjoy- myself-fantasy-person.
And also that reading was interesting for me; the joy, humor, fantasy, activities, contacts, creativity and devotion to help others.

And just becáuse of that, a question came up in my mind; "who is this colourful angle down at our own blue planet?"

After two days I received a posting and it appeared to be from someone outside Western Europe.

This was the first time in my life I had a personal contact by the internet with someone so far away.
A very special experience for me, just becáuse of the facts she descibed from her daily life.
It moved me, because then I have the feeling that my picture of someone and contact with someone is more real than before.

Was the contact before nót real?
Sure it was. Also in fantasynames, humor, activities at h2g2 someone shows aspects of his/her own personality.

But it feels different for mé, since I know more facts about his/her daily life, in that country, far away.
Somewhere in that country, there is someone, in whom's feelings I have a small temporary place.
An exiting experience, almost as if I am thére myself.


I enjoy the fantasy stories at h2g2, although SF is not a real love for me.
But when I'm getting intrigued by someone, I feel the urge and need to know more about his/her daily life. Mainly because I expect to see more aspects of that person and maybe also the more problematic aspects.

And so it happened.
I could read experiences of that person, that would probably never have been written down at h2g2 and it was very "warm" to be able to share that.


For me there is an interaction between the-digital-h2g2-fantasy- world and our fysical and I wouldn't like to live without any of these two hére at h2g2.

Because of that interaction I can enjoy h2g2 as a friendly fantasyplace and not as a hiding place.




(Here some postings I received, related to the Spanish "Duende" = irrational, extreme emotional experience, related to Flamenco and other typical Spanish cultural topics).




"I know - I've only experienced what I'd describe as duende twice - something profoundly and intensely emotional...

The first time was long before I got interested in Flamenco - it was at a classical concert... and there was a piece (I've forgotten wat it was) that made me feel as if something was reaching inside my chest and trying to rip my heart out. I looked around to see if anyone else was feeling it, but they all looked perfectly calm and like typical Svenssons (very average, even statistically average, Swedes)

It started with a shiver down my spine, and then going up again, and when it hit the base of my skull my neck hair went 'ping' and I got goose bumps all over my body. The pain in my heart came next, and then trembling all over - I had to grab hold of my seat to stop myself from shaking - and I had to clench my teeth together to stop the scream that was working its way up through my throat

- but I couldn't stop the tears... I wasn't sobbing, but the tears were flooding freely, and there was nothing I could do to stop them - not even wipe them away, since that would have meant that I'd have to let go of my seat...

It was as if the music was speaking to all the dark and negative feelings I had ever experienced and buried deep inside of me, enticing them to pop up to the surface - feelings hard enough to cope with one by one, but all at once... I felt as if I was torn apart inside, an earthquake, a vulcano eruption, a thunderstorm

When the music stopped, the pain stopped too, mercifully - I grew limp and then started searching my handbag for paper handkerchiefs - when I heard a small voice next to me saying 'do you have one for me too?' I looked at my friend next to me - and oh how I loved her at that moment for having shared the sensational emotion - she looked just as devastated as I was feeling - face wet with tears, red-rimmed eyes, pale face...

And afterwards I felt all empty inside, but a nice kind of empty, everything rinsed out.
..like a khatarsis for the soul...



The second time was very different:

At the end of each tearm we give a performance, where all the flamenco dance class participants can take part (but not all of them will, because they lack the will, or the guts, or both)

I was to be one of four dancers performing a sort of slow siguiriya (not sure about the spelling - slow because it should have been faster - very fast dance). We had been rehearsing with music on tape, but for the end-of-term performance we had a Spanish guitarist (friend of our teacher) who also sings pretty well, although he's not really a singer

Live music makes so much difference - we had just started dancing when I suddenly felt a beam (or maybe wave?) of light, warmth, energy, vitality flowing into me and lifting me so high up that I experienced the biggest ego-trip ever in my life

Everything melted together inside of me - the beam, the music, the singing, the clapping, the encouraging shouts - and the result was ecstasy - and loosing contact with reality - I forgot the spotlights, I forgot the audience - it was just me, me, me! I felt strong, I felt invincible, beautiful, strong and proud! And then - nothing

I didn't reconnect with reality until the end of the dance, when we were supposed to dance off the stage - but instead of dancing sideways, I was dancing towards the back - and almost bumped into the guitarist - not until then did I realize what I was doing!

I was quite out of breath and sweating heavily - and I realized I must have danced as h*ll - but the question was: what on earth had I been dancing? Had I even been dancing the same dance as the other three girls? Or had I messed it up? Had I made a complete and utter fool of myself? I had no idea - I had had a complete black-out

But then some of the other students said 'Wow - you were GOOD!' and a complete stranger walked up to me - to me! - and shook my hand and told me how fantastic I had been, how absolutely stunning...

...and I blushed furiously and muttered something and then excused myself, saying I had to get changed...

To this day I'm not sure what happened, or what I did - it was as if something took over my body - one of the strangest things I've ever experienced."