Someone said that the observing is a pain to the observer and the object that He watches. So I rather prefer to observe myself. This observations will be about time, space and myself in Poland. First observation- Relation between Polish winter and Portuguese beach sand?

This is the beginning, The departure point. My arrival in Poland. It was winter.
First impression, obvious- the light. It's difficult not to make comparisons. The light in my country (Portugal), the light in this country (Poland). Of course it’s a question about sun, about geography. It’s also a question about perspective. So, in the beginning I miss the sun of my country, but mainly I miss the light. Then slowly I started my adaptation (not only through my rational part but with all my body- my eyes, my hands, my feet, my face- when I had some snow on it!) and step by step I start my own discoveries. And I decided to start from the small things.

For example, do you know what could exist in common between the snow in Poland and the sand in some Portuguese beaches? Of course it’s something very subjective: for me it’s the sound that you make when you are walking on it. I like this kind of experiences- I go to the forest- with my eyes I trace one line in front of me. Then I close my eyes and I fix myself in the sound that my feet make when I’m walking in this place, in the snow. Then I discover, in my memory, that I recognised that sound and in that moment I was virtually transported to Portugal, to that specific sand, to the colours, to my emotions connected with that.

Second observation- movement and equilibrium in Polish winter.

Another thing in my adaptation (remember we are talking about simple things) was the movement, the simple process of walking. Sometimes it was also new for me: how to walk in a frozen ground without follow down? For me that experience became very interesting: I repeated it several times. I went outside, centred myself on equilibrium, how my body had to move in order to walk on this frozen floor (off course, to be possible this experience I had to choose only the few frozen parts on the street. This was new for my body, for myself. I also watched other people trying not to fall down, and for sure they were used to this conditions for several years. The difference? Maybe I was like a child and I felt funny with trough out this learning.

Third observation- The end of the winter in the urban context.

For me the end of the winter in the city is connected with water. Better, with the metamorphose of the water, changing from solid element to liquid element. Nothing new, I know. But in the city there is nothing like in nature. In the city there is artificial ground, there is road. But there are also some small owls on the ground, near the roads, the places where the water goes when it rains for example. So, if you go to a very quiet street, if you close your eyes, maybe you will hear the sound of the winter going away. And in this moment the city have many, many cascades. This was my ritual- the ending of the winter, the possibility of spring. I thought this should be announced to everybody- “You can hear the winter going away!”. I imagine that in one moment all the city stops- the cars, the trains, the bus, like in a giant choreography, and all the people will close their eyes and will listen the end of winter.

Fourth and final observation- the spring and the invisible things.

Now it’s April. There is sun. There is light. Now, there are more things to learn in Poland. For example, to leave my jacket at home, I won’t need it during the day. I feel ashamed, some people already in t-shirt and me with my winter jacket! Now everybody is outside, there are tables and chairs on the streets. I like to walk along the Warsaw streets and look at the buildings and watch people. In search of invisible things (in search of poetry…). In one corner of Nowy Świat, there is one Musical Trio- two trumpets and one big guy playing Tuba. They are a perfect musical background for this end of the day. The city seems perfect, with the rhythm and movement.

Near the Central Station there is one man who is trying to carry lots of bags. When he pulls a suitcase, another one is falling down. Again and again. It is also a trio: him, his bags and the gravity force. The musicians should be here.

The tram goes on and I am on it. It’s almost night and all the invisible things are just here. Inside the city. Inside us.

Antonio Xavier

Gdynia, 19/04/2011