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TOZ Antonio Piretti by Riccardo Franchet

DIARY '10


NOTES  2 0 1 0


 

23 December 10
IT'S UP TO YOU
There are no problems.. but solutions..
There is a life.. that you have to honor.
There are dreams.. that you can realize..
And there is a heart.. that you should follow..
Yours..
Live.. your life.. not the one of someone else..

 

11 December 10
8 0 1 .. c d s    S O L D..!

 

2 December 10
rich.. cause free... this is what I feel..

 

28 November 10
WILD.. in the name of FREEDOM...!

 

25 November 10
one day.. I'll remember these days.. and I hope to smile.. finally happy..

 

18 November 10
every day my friend Douglas writes me a quote with a sms.. this one is quite frequent.. but today.. I liked it more than yesterday..
"Life is total living.. live it totally, or die in the process of not living it at all.. Be the best you can be.."
thanks Douglas for all the messages...

 

15 November 10
alzato alle 5 am.. finite le riprese alle 14.. 
mentre camminavo lentamente tornando a casa sorridevo..
..siamo cio’ che pensiamo di essere..
dipende solo da noi e da quanto ci crediamo.. da quanto coraggio abbiamo perseverando lo sviluppo del nostro cammino..

 

14 November 10
e' da qualche settimana che sto partecipando alle riprese di alcuni film e programmi TV.. spesso si deve essere sul set alle 6:00 am o prima.. beh.. il punto e' che alzarmi presto tipo alle 5 o anche alle 3:30 come 2 gg fa.. non e' male, e' figo..! e' buio e c'e' silenzio.. finalmente anche Toronto e' tranquilla.. nelle pause tra una ripresa e l'altra..? studio musica e bevo caffe (quello americano.. AGGHIACCIANTE).


13 November 10
..che strana la vita.. magari una di queste volte la capisco anche.. comunque, se ci penso.. non posso non sorridere.. almeno per un attimo..

 

12 November 10
4:30 am..
you are waiting for the streetcar on Queen Street (Toronto) to go on a set of a movie..
you're tired.. a little still in your dreams but positive.. and it's not so cold..
the streetcar arrives..
and the driver look at you and say to you..
"I have one of your cd..! you are a singer.. I like it.. I always listen to it at home.."
you look at her.. and smile..
this is another way to start a long day...

 

23 October 10
SOLITUDE..
PASSION..
FAITH.... 
this is what I'm understanding in this could country..

 

17 October 10
L: Hi..
Me: Hi..
L: I didn’t want to scare you..
Me: No problem..
L: Have a good one..
Me: You too..
Very short.. but so important..

 

15 October 10
..only passion will get you through the tough times..

 

04 October 10
changed..
Thursday the 7th.. will be the last day of busking in the subway… 
I won’t be a regular busker for the next season for the TTC subway stations.... 
this year has been important for me.. not only as musician, I liked playing so much.. and trying many styles, songs, etc.... but also as man.. I’m grown up..
in the subway.. your eyes see things that you can’t see in your office… 
the life is passing by you everyday… 

 

15 September 10
sono in bici x andare a cena da 1 amico.. la strada dopo 1 po'diventa una autostrada.. pazzesco..! 1 semaforo e poi autostrada!!! (sono a Toronto) mi sono fatto 5 km di autostrada in bici.. e' arrivata la polizia IMBUFALITA!! dopo un'ora di interrogatorio mi riaccompagnano fuori dalla 401.. al ritorno, sempre in bici, ...straccio 1 rosso.. SIRENA, altra volante e 110 dollari.. cazzo, ma che sfiga...!


23 August 10
HOME..    FINALLY..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


21 August 10
August.. usually a holiday time.. not this year.. and not the year before too.. no problem.. it will arrive the right moment to relax..
Just trying to understand.. to take the right decisions...
Many things done.. and changed..
Many doubts in front of me..
Let’s go on.. everything will be clearer tomorrow..
no fear.. but bravery

 

08 July 10
..music.. is a challenge between a wonderful dream and a tough reality...
life is only one.. it’s better to win it..!!

 

27 June 10
yesterday there has been the wedding of my best friend Nicola.. 
it is never too late to understand how much is important to share emotions..  just to be present...
for many times.. my fault..

 

18 June 10
a unique day...!!

 

07 June 10
a short Italian period..
Am I back home..?
home is where your dreams are...

 

07 May 10
tonight.. @ Linux Cafe.. a very gentle Asian guy.. Nick... came to my show.. and he brought me flowers.. it has been the first time ever in my life.. that a man gave my flowers.. and it was a big bouquet...


12 April 2010
a very confused time.. I have seen better moments... my love story.. is over now...

 

16 March 10
every day many many people pass in front of me.. and sometimes.. I start by myself “the game of the doubles”.. or in Italian “il gioco dei sosia..”
when I went out with my friends.. and we were walking on the streets or in a crowded places.. we started to say the name of the famous person who looked like the ones near us..
it was very funny.. because you can recognize only some aspects of the famous person... and you sometimes connect persons that are not similar.. and some other times the mach perfectly...
so it’s more strong than me.. I start to do that game by myself.. and I start to smile because the “doubles” that I find.. sometimes are amazing...!! anf more strange and absurd is the mach and more fun is to play...
(all this... when I play....)

 

07 March 10
some days ago.. I was busking @ Don Mills subway station.. and a man came to me.. he said something positive about my music and that he was a musician too.. he is from Sri Lanka.. and he told me.. that in his country.. he busked on the trains of the subway.. and he used the beat of the train in movement as rhythm (ciuf,ciuf – ciuf,ciuf—ciuf,ciuf—etc).. as the beat of the drum.. and so he was used to sing and play the guitar with the rhythm of the train.. isn’t it cool..?

 

26 February 10
about strange things...
a black man.. came up to me.. and staring at my guitar bag..
he was strange.. with a strange voice.. (a broken deep voice..). very particular casual clothes.. with a white beard and a hat..
after a little.. he gave me 1 dollar.. and started to dance following the rhythm of the song that I was singing... saying that my music was giving him pleasure against his anxiety...
we started to talked a little.. and he told me that he was used to live on a balcony, in a tent, a shelter....  he was homeless.. and he showed me what he was drinking.. he opened the bottle.. but inside the bottle there was a plant.. and for sure there was alcohol.. mixed together
then he wrote me a comment in my guest book.. and wrote his email accounts.. he has 4 email addresses.. (he gave me the blog of the homeless person that he shares a balcony with...
and he asked me.. “do you know what happened to my voice..?”
I said.. “No...”
and he said.. “I was hit twice by a lightening..”  
I said.. “this is impossible..!..”
so he showed me how the lightning entered from his side and exited from the other side... in Italy we say.. “he wasn’t all house..”.. translated it means.. he was a little crazy...
and I said.. “in Italy we say.. there is no 2 without 3...”.
and he said.. “No.. stop.. it’s enough... no anymore... I must stay safe...”
we joked a little and after he went away...

 

19 February 10
yesterday I was playing @ Royal York.. and a asian woman stopped in front of me.. searching inside her purse..
she came to me and gave me 3 dollars and something..
I said to her.. ”thanks, you gave me a lot of money..!”
and she said.. ”I have to thank you. you are an angel.. because with your music you bring life to this station..”
I was very impressed.. I think.. she was an angel.. and all the people that smile at me or tell me very nice things are angels.. but I didn’t think that somebody could think that about me..

 

14 February 2010
sometimes things are not as they appear..
palying in the subway.. I’ve met many people.. and very strange ones..
but sometimes.. the ones that you could be afraid of.. are only trying to help you.. but you don’t know this..for example.. the 27th  of January.. I was playing @ Dundas subway station... and a tall big black guy, homeless.. started to beg for money quite near me.. then he came near me.. very near.. about one meter.. he seemed to be angry.. and I kept on playing.. and I was singing loud.. and we looked each other in the eyes.. it was not a friendly look.. after a bit.. he moved away from me.. and started to ask people to give me money..  
I didn’t know this.. and after 2 songs.. I was putting my money in my pockets.. I didn’t feel so comfortable.. and he came to me and said to me.. “don’t touch the money.. there is no problem..” and gave me money.. I was more confused.. after 10 minutes he went away..
the day after he came with another homeless person. a woman.. and he told her to give me money.. and she gave me 1 dollar.. and then left.. without saying anything..

another example.. the 13th  of January I was playing at Spadina subway station..
 things were going very good.. but at one moment.. a guy with a hat.. started to beg for money near me.. going back and forth asking  all the people..
I thought.. “no..not another time.. it’s not possible..” the people were quite annoyed but he went on..
after 10 minutes.. he came to me.. and gave me part of his money he had collected in a plastic cup.. I was again surprised.. and I asked  him.. “do you like U2..?” and he said “yes..” so I sang “one..” for him..
he collected a lot of money during that song.. and at the end.. he came to me.. and said “thank you.. it was very good..” and gave me money again and went away..

these are only 2 examples.. but I could write many many others.. that I’d have liked to have said something and complained.. but I didn’t.. I just waited.. and  things turned out by themselves.. in a positive way..
 

23 January 10
it has been since the 29th of November 2009 that I’m playing everyday in the Toronto’s subway.. for TTC.. I can tell you.. it’s very hard.. to play so many hours (more or les 6 hours for day).. also when it’s cold.. (and when I say cold, in Toronto.. it means cold..).. but I feel so privilege and so lucky to able to live with my music.. this is a dream comes true...
I’m selling cds.. I’m creating a database of fans..
I finally uploaded my new songs and my new acoustic versions that I recorded during october and November.. and I’m feeling good.. and I’m going to move on...


10 January 10
I was playing at Finch subway station.. and an homeless (with a friendly face) start to beg money just before me...
so I started to listen all the clicks of the coins that he was receiving..
after a while.. I asked him if he could move a little.. the station was so big.. there were no reasons to stay just so close to me..
he was disappointed about my words and he said.. “I know every body here.. I’ve always been here, etc.. etc.. ” 
after 20 minutes.. I saw him dividing money.. then he came to me.. and gave me the half of his money...
I was shocked.. it was unbelievable.. so I started to talk.. I offered him one of my cds.. but he said that he hadn’t a stereo.. and he started to explain why he was begging there, etc..
so I said to him.. “feel my hands”.. and when he held my hands.. he realized that my fingers were colder than his.. so he started to tell me how to keep them warm, etc.. etc..
It was very funny.. and after that moment we joked several times..
I’ll never forget that...

 

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