HI guys. I hope you are all well. I know I haven’t posted in a while but I do check in here from time to time.
For most of the past year I have been running a Swedish-based fansite which now has over 2,600 followers. On average we have one daily posting and about 1,200 people hits, and about 120 likes. Coupled to this are many personal comments and individual fan messages to which I have to respond.
I am hoping to reduce this workload in the next month, and hand over the steering to another generation of control freaks, so that I can revisit sites like this, and regain my balance.
It’s been very tough. Many of our followers are quite young. Although I have always stated ‘I am NOT YOHIO, Gottit?’ Like no-one wants to give up on believing in Santa Claus. I get a lot of requests to visit birthday parties etc.
It’s the equivalent of someone asking Ian, ‘I know that really you are Rebecka’ or Fish ‘Hey come on, you really are Alex’ and being able to respond that that sensitively. Multiply it by 1000 times.
I had hoped that I could find more of a link between YOHIO and SML/FA. Sadly I cannot. SML/FA is pretty much standard fare in Personal and Social Education programmes in Swedish Schools. General attitude seems to be ‘You’re Gay/ Lesbian? So what!’
I know that is a gross over-simplification, and many kids face petty-minded bullying, but in reality, times have moved on a lot since FA/SML.
I just occasionally try to remind people that without FA/SML the debate might not have been aired, and attitudes might have become more entrenched. At least the norm now is to say NOT ‘Wow, you’re gay – what is your problem?’ to ‘Wow, you’re homophobic – what is your problem?.
Anyway here is a treat to show that music is the geat unifier and transcends boundaries. From a Swedish TV broadcast earlier this year. YOHIO with the celebrated Swedish folk musician Kalle Moraeus. ‘I norrländska skogars dvala’ arrangement by YOHIO of a medley of folk music themes.
If you can’t find it on this link:
http://www.svtplay.se/klipp/1428817/yohio-kalle-moraeus-i-norrlandska-skogars-dvalaThen you should be able to get it on this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aRrWnhj5Hg