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| this blog... |
| 10.30.04 (3:35 pm) [edit] |
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this blog is becoming a political rant and Movie recommendation! how funny!
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| Iceland on my mind. |
| 10.30.04 (3:34 pm) [edit] |
I watched another movie I recommend, if your into the unhollywood. This is an Icelandic film titled, "Noi Albino" It's the story of a genuis boy living in a small fishing village in Iceland next to a fjord.
He's an outcaste physically and mentally. He meets a girl from the Southern part of Iceland visitng her father and together they plan to escape. The movie is timeless, yet at the same time nostalgic. The director uses toys from the 70's and 80's like the rubic cube, simple in form, minimal, like the landscape, but at the same time complex.
The Landscape it beautiful... it reminded me of my 2 trips there... the first time was the summer I was 15 on our way to Germany, and the second time was in college at the end of Feb (our Spring break). People thought we were crazy going to Iceland for Spring break... but i'd much rather go there then Cancun!
I remember in the summer how the sun didn't set until 11:30 at night. I remember blood pudding. I remember the way the Icelandic people roll there R's in a whispery way. There was something magical and strange about this place. THere is only one forest in Iceland! The landscape is volcanic and bare, very moon-like.. windswept from the North Atlantic and bubbling with sulfur hot springs... I can see why people believe in "little people"here.
The second time I returned to Iceland was without parents... in the winter. The weather was schizo, it couldn't make up it's mind. One moment there'd be a whiteout, the next moment the sun would appear, then freezing rain... strange... and then there is the blue lagoon...... a geothermal pool of glowing blue water and theraputic earthen clay to soak your body. The water had a hard boiled egg smell, and my hair turned to straw... but the place was surreal and I didnt care about my hair.
I remember how the snow started to fall from the gray Icelandic clouds and fall on our noses... the winter quite... the land seemed silent when the snow begins to fall melting on the blue lagoon. I lay in the hot water looking up at the falling snow... something I'll never forget...
That and the ride to the airport in the rental car at 5am in the morning! A whiteout, the sky is still dark. and the only people on the road are driving monstor trucks which whiz passed us blowing up the whirling snow... I can't see a thing, and my knuckles are white from my tight grip. On one side of the road is the wild ocean, and the other, the barren landscape of snow and Ice... nothingness, an empty space playing tricks on my vision, and straight ahead 2 white headlights of the monster trucks zooming past us. Everytime a monstor would pass I'd breath a sigh of relief when it was over.
hmmmmm, Iceland is one of my favorite places though... watch this movie... it's about the effect of Isolation and what it does to people. It is beautful to watch.
For me Iceland is a place i'd ike to return again and see some more of, I feel I've only scratched the surface, i want to see if i can find one of those little people ;) kikikikikiki
oh yeah... another movie to watch also filmed in Iceland is "Cold Fever", about a Japanese man on a journey to bury his parents... it's a roadtrip movie filled with interesting characters...
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| From the Girl Over in the Big Bad Western World. |
| 10.30.04 (8:47 am) [edit] |
THis is my reaction to the Osama Bin Laden tape recently released. Only a portion of it was shown on American TV.
It's frightening to think that Osama Bin Laden is more Intelligent then our own leader.
This is a message to all of us as Americans, but we as American people have to look for the truth in other places, on the internet... because our news is so biased, and fear oriented that it produced brainwashed people into also believing that we should attack other countries killing women and children to preserve our own fucking freedom!!! What the fuck! I'm ashamed at times, I want to throw something at the televsion, but wait... that might be an act of terrorisM!!!! aughhhhhh!!! I wish people would OPEN their EYES!!!! Our safety is on our own hands! Bush or Kerry only feed us the words they think we want to hear (most polititions for that matter)... what ever happened to the truth, sometimes admiting a mistake is more powerful then pretending to have power! Things don't have to be so complicated... can you imagine what could happen with a little truth!?
I can't believe the elections are only 4 days away... and I applied for an absentee ballot twice and still haven't gotten one! it must be some kind of conspiracy. the whole american government is... rarrrr!!! just ranting, phew, feels good!
RAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOORRRRRR !!!!
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| I watched the blood moon last night. |
| 10.28.04 (5:04 am) [edit] |
The curse was lifted and the Red Sox won a world series after 80-someodd years, maybe it was the "blood moon?" "Blood moon" what the hell is that?
I was feeling a bit out of control last night, not sure why i felt this way, when I looked up to the full moon, ahhhhhh so!
I went up to the roof of our apartment in Brooklyn with Justin and Kristin to watch the full moon turn red from the shadow of the earth, an eclipse! The three of us lay on the roof looking up and interpreting the shape of the moon and what we each saw with our astigmitism eyes, Justin saw a baby chick in the moon, I saw a jacko-lantern, kristin saw rays of light sprouting from the top of the moon. We heard other voices around us as other people in Brooklyn had the same idea to watch the metamorphosis of the moon. I felt compelled to howel at the moon and did so, Justin and kristin following suit. Only a lone dog howeled back. We sang songs of "Harvest Moons" Major Tom, SPacecowboys and such... and watched the airplanes from JFK fly into the moon, casting a spacey illusion of us "sitting floating in a tin can far above the earth, planet earth below"
I even got a rare site in the orange night sky glow of New York... a shooting star swept across the sky, truely from some other galaxy, out of this world during the blood moon night! only I forgot to make a wish, at the unexpected sight.
Later inside i heard my phone ring at midnight just after the red Sox's won. It was my sister, she was crying... she's moving out of Boston after 8 years... what a way to leave! A celebration in the Streets of the Red SOx Victory, and her celebration of 8 years in Boston... yeah but now she's coming to NYC!
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| What do you think of AMerica? |
| 10.25.04 (3:12 pm) [edit] |
Since returning from my trip I've been thinking of my role as an American in this world, I guess that's pretty big thing since I'm only a small human being from Long Island in this enormous world. I've been home for nearly three months now, and i'm still not used to being surrounded by so many of us from the US. I guess that's why New York is a good place to be for me. because it's something else, a capsule of the world.
There are days when it feels great to be back... and then there are moments where i wish I lived in a place that wasn't in the spotlight all the time. This place... where people love to hate, where I have such a love hate relationship with, where I'm embarrased by what our government does, but proud of some of the music which it produces. There are certain aspects of it which i missed when i was away... which included my family, New York, the music...
I didn't miss the ignorance. hmmmmm... I've thought what it would be like to be an expat, an American living overseas but relized I'll always be an "American" wherever i live. Even if my blood consists of German, Irish, French, Welsh, Dutch, Polish... I'll still be classified as a "white American" My Japanese student looked at me in surprise when I told where my ancestors came from. yep, that's what happens here...
I wish more American's would travel so people would stop telling me that only 12% of the American population has passports! THat's fucking embarrasing.
I wonder if this feeling will go away... I'm not sure it will.
Here is an article from BBC News.
"What do you think of America?"
Land of the free, home of junk food, or global policeman: What do you think of America?
The USA's role in the world was discussed in a unique global television debate hosted by the BBC.
The debate revealed the results of a ground-breaking, international survey of attitudes that will capture popular prejudices and convictions about America.
Under discussion was America's relations with other countries post-September 11, the country's cultural legacy and what the future holds for the world's only superpower.
The programme also revealed that News Online readers voted Homer Simpson as the Greatest American in history.
What do you think of America? Who is the greatest American? What is the USA's best, and worst, contribution to the world?
(taken from BBC)
here are some excerpts of comments on America from BBC news...
With so much of the world living in poverty, under the shadow of autocratic governments, it is easy to see why America is the target of so much hate. Jealousy is a powerful emotion.
LP, Egham, UK
America, we are told, is a country that was founded on freedom yet it was founded on mass slavery. America is a country where we are told free speech is valued yet when people speak out against the recent war they are vivified, fired or even attacked. America is thought of as rich yet many millions of its citizens live way below the poverty line, and we simply don't care. America is a country where racism is alive and well. America is a country of basically decent people who allow themselves to believe in a fantasy worthy of Disney rather than change things for the better.
Mike Peterson, Spain (Ex-USA)
Everyone loves to hate the winner if they are not a part of the same team. It is amazing how many NY Yankee hats you see on people's heads no matter what country you are in. Perhaps the bitterness needs to end and everyone should learn from American perseverance. Americans aren't perfect but neither is anyone else. Anyone that thinks Americans are too aggressive might want to consider the fact that it has only taken 200 plus years of existence to get where they are as a superpower. I say hats-off this July 4th and a pat on the back.
Mike, UK
Nice place, shame about the guns.
Joe Horvath, Australia
America as a country is representative of many western nations whose only knowledge of the rest of the world is TV.I don't blame 'em but surely they are missing a lot. I wish they'd care to listen, travel and see the rest of the world.
Lawrence gwakisa, Tanzania
America is a land of the brain washed public who can see no wrong in what is done in their name. If only the American people can look around and see that they need the world more then the world needs them.
Abdul, Egypt
There's an old Japanese expression that says; "the nail that stands up gets knocked down." Since the Soviet Union collapsed the USA has been the country that stands up and sticks out the most, as such we have become a scapegoat for people to vent their frustrations and blame their problems on.
Bill Grant, USA
85% of Americans do not have a registered passport. For my US readers, this means 85% of Americans have never left the 'homeland'. Is there anything else to say?
Koko, Canada
We may not be perfect in the world's eye, but I am sick and tired of everyone in the world bashing us. You need us more than we need you. As far as I'm concerned. I hope we go back to isolationism.
Marie, USA
I think calling McDonalds representative of our food and Jerry Springer of our common discourse is grossly inaccurate. Would it be fair to assume all Brits eat fish'n'chips and act like Patsy and Edina? Surely not.
Andy, USA
What strikes me is how the most powerful country in the world, with all its resources and wealth manages to breed such an ignorant people. They know very little about the world beyond their shores, despite the fact that their collective heritage is derived from all over the world. Power breeds arrogance no doubt. Yet arrogance combined with ignorance is fatal.
Michele, Singapore
America is a dream country for many people in Africa. What makes me angry is the same people who wait at the gate of the American embassy to get a visa complain how they hate America. So why do they want to go there? It is not right to Love its resources and hate its policies at the same time. You have to choose one. Either be in America and abide by the rules and regulations or don't dream to go there.
But still they dream to be there because it is the only country where you can earn your bread without fear of any thing. How can any one hate the land of opportunity? We have to also understand America like any other Nation which has its own programme and objectives that it wants to see in the world in line with its National advantage. So what is the problem with that?? Any way, I love America and Americans.
Neftegnaw, Ethiopia
I certainly do not envy Americans. I mean who would like to be that fat!
Laurent, France
Love it when I'm there, scared of it when here - so naive they should keep out of foreign politics
Marilyn Cameron, UK
The reason we are criticized is not due to envy, it is because we represent a dream, a dream the rest of the world admires and that dream is slipping away. We are seen as the child who had huge promise but is too self-absorbed to preserve and nurture the freedom given us by our forefathers.
Ingrid Seel, USA
Having just moved to America, from the UK I have seen how unaware the US is of politics, it's view on the war is frequently based on the 9/11 attack. This is frightening. Bush has brainwashed them.
Martine Harvey, America
I love America - the world would be boring without it.
Dack, Venezuela
A superpower that one day will destroy itself like all the superpowers before them.
Adi, Malaysia
I have the highest respect possible for the United States and everything they have done and stand for. They are the greatest nation since the Roman Empire. I love Italy and I will ALWAYS be thankful to the US for liberating the country in WW2.
Sid, Italy
We hate your diets, but we love McDonalds. We think your greedy and selfish, but we'll take money from the largest aid donor in the world. We don't want you to police the world, we just want to pick and choose where we send your military. We deplore your culture, but we love your movies and are becoming more and more like you everyday. We think you're stupid, but we will continually seek out your universities. We think your arrogant, that's why we plead for your tourism. We hate all that America stands for, because you are the land of the free and have a Democracy and Economy, the likes of which the world has never seen. We secretly want to be you America, that's why we hate you.
Jay, Earth
anyway... I just wanted to post this up as a reminder.
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| Eternal Sunshine. |
| 10.17.04 (7:25 pm) [edit] |
Some more 6 degrees of seperation. It' s been a great week... a friend of mine I met in Japan was here on an extended visit. Saturday was the best... I kept thinking there was a full moon in the house, everything seemed in sink. something in the atmosphere... not sure what is was... but I met some great people and my traveling high or whatever it is... continued on... through the international festival of people representing other nations and languages in Jersey City! A new Place in New York I haven't explored!.. all under one roof complete with a parade and story hour around a fire ( well a make-believe one)... meeting for the first time or time and time again...
it's funny how if you didn't meet this one person, how you wouldn't have meet others... and the situtiation you find yourself in wouldn't have happened if you weren't at the same place at the same time... I love that! everything seemed to work out in the end even my Japanese student Akiko found someone she cold speak Japanese and English with. She was even exposed to Marijuana for the first time. "Welcome to NEW YoRK!" well it was a good situation... that's all I'll saY :)
Thanks peeps! I was getting a bit down and this has been a pick me up... feeling in tune again. feeling content at the moment. like I'm in a movie and I'm in it this time, instead of watching lt like an audience member. did see a crap movie though..."friday night lights" just for kicks... there's so much more to write but for now... that's a rap.
"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" i did see and do see if you have not!
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| Chinese fortune |
| 10.15.04 (11:10 am) [edit] |
my chinese fortune said... "be careful when you walk alone in the darkness..." yikes!! what the *(#$!#!
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| If you've got something to say Comment! |
| 10.12.04 (12:49 pm) [edit] |
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If your reading my blog and you've got something to say comment! I want to hear from you! that''s what it's there for! I know you people are reading it... =) all the more apprecitated. I share. you share.
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| A late night ride on the N train |
| 10.12.04 (11:22 am) [edit] |
It was late on a Saturday night or early on a sunday morning whichever way you look at it. I was riding the N train home after a night our in Williamsburg. I was a little drunk and tired and was about to put my head phones on and zone out when i sensed someone next to me. He was sitting across from me and then moved to sit beside me.
"I really like your shoes" he said. I held my heaphones in my hands about to put them on... not sure if I felt like talking to a stranger... and turned to him and thanked him. I've never started a conversation starting with shoes... so I decieded I wanted to see where it would go... and besides how often to strangers actually talk to one another on the subway... most people close their eyes... plug their ears with music or stare at the walls... I often look at peoples shoes on the subway. I think they say alot about someone.
"they're a really nice shade of green".
"thanks"
Then we went into the usual where are you from... blah blah stuff. He's from Brooklyn, had lived his whole life there and was sick of New York.
"I've just returned to New York." i told him.
"I want to get out of this place." he said
"you need to get out' I said. "It's a whole lot easier then you think"
I told him how amazing NEw York is... but you need to leave it to appreciate it again otherwise you will hate it.
then he proceeded to compliment my accent " a perfect American one" " WHAT!!!" no hint of Long Island in there.
and my eyes... Yes yes... they match my green shoes... and even my fake diamond nose ring. stop stop stop!! ok maybe i did like the admiration part. who doesn't if it's someone you don't mind chatting with...
we talked the whole sunway ride about everything... the trip flew instead of being an endless late night mission. I felt like i was traveling again... meeting a fellow person in life at a moment in time... when I thought I'd be bored on the subway... staring at peoples shoes... I wish i noticed what he was wearing... oh well...
he wanted my number... but instead I gave him my email... who knows what's next, but... I was just happy to have met a stranger on the subway connecting at our transfer stops on the N train.
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| "If you see a suspicious package, please report it to police." |
| 10.08.04 (10:51 am) [edit] |
Ok Nick, you've inspired me to include some of my writing in my blogging. Subway rides are cool, especially when they come up above the ground. here's a lil ditty about one too.
"If you see a suspicious package, please report it to the police."
Next stop is Canal street"
it's part of everyday now.
everything's a suspect without an owner.
across the aisle I look at my suspects with curiosity
A young man orchestrates music in his head
a music stand by his feet.
a girl adjusts her make-up in a mirror.
a man sleeps under his shades.
And I see my face in the reflection of the window.
do you ever watch other people through the window reflections?
Up above the ground we go
in the basking light.
our transport stops on a postal service note
in the middle of the river
the sun reflecting the metal mountains
boats passing underneath
leaving their trail behind.
transporting to other waterways.
cars pass beside us moving people indpendantly in their bubbles.
we move slower then the cars,
heading back underground once again we go,
after our breath of sun
I catch splashes of writing from the underground,
where some people call their home.
living like moles.
2 stops ahead I go.
the doors open and i exit up to the street.
People walking past on the pavement
tranporting their bodies.
stopping in the square next to a tree.
a man sits next to me
I can smell his unwashed clothes.
a rotten fruit once sweet to smell.
he smiles
and I can't hear anything except the sound of my music,
but I can see everything quite perfectly...
in this kind of light.
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| Che |
| 10.05.04 (12:33 pm) [edit] |
Ok this journal is turning into a movie recommendations... but I must recommend this movie!!
"The Motorcycle Diaries"
"When traveling there are 2 paths...
one of nostalgia for home.
and one for the adventure which lies ahead"
so true, so true.
Here is an interview with the screen writer Jose' Rivera.
The making of the "Motorcycle Diaries", from the start had been a labor of love. In many ways, you could describe this film as a lucid love letter to South America. You can see it in Gael Garcia's eyes as he survey's the gorgeous and wounded landscape. You can see it in Rodrigo de la Serna's charm and Mia Maestro's anguish -- in the quiet humanity of the lepers in San Pablo. You can hear it in the score and see it in every one of Walter Salle's beautiful shots.
The challenges to writing the screenplay were many. How do you begin to approach an iconic figure like Ernesto Guevara? How do y ou humanize the myth?
How do you honor the memory and serve history? how do you give his companion Alberto Granado equal weight? How do you capture the inner geography of a boy turning into a man?
How do you capture that flickering pre- 1960's Latin America, poised, it seems, between centuries? How do you capture the mind-boggling variety of faces, temperaments, cultures, races and voices?
Ernesto Guevera once wrote that a true revolutionary was guided by great feeling of love. Ulitmately a writer's greatest and most singular gift to any film is his or her love for the themes and people of a project at hand. I was lucky. Writing the screenplay and balancing it's many demands only required a lot of hard work -- lending my love to the stories of young Ernesto Guevera and Alberto Granado was easy.
Jose Rivera, Los Angelea
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| Mood enchancer |
| 10.04.04 (1:15 pm) [edit] |
My travel high is dying, I knew it would eventually, but when.. I didn't know. Two months is a long time to still be there... if you know what I mean. Now i'm trying to find my place here back in the motherland of refugees. I officially haven't worked in 10 months and haven't paid American taxes is 2 years! because I haven't been making American money! I'm proud to say... I haven't contributed moneywise to much of this mess our current leader has put us through... but I most def will contribute to this years election!
anyways...
Here is a little something I wrote while listening to the "Lost in Translation" soundtrack awhile ago.
City girl... and I love you. don't go city boy.
why are there no guitars to make music and fly away?
an endless mission
somewhere in my head,
its' full.
birds fly with kite strings
and cats prowl in alley's purring,
with mischevious eyes
ready to pounce on it's prey.
and sad orchestra's make you feel a mood
it's purpose of being a
mood enchancer on a full stomach and full head.
we have to make up for our lost time
gain new time,
like daylight saving time
where only certain places accept this.
when all you have is a memory
and you want to watch a movie of it
replay your favorite parts
put a soundtrack to it when you wake in the morning.
in a different language,
lost in a word...
a machine making a sound or a noise from far away
a landscape sound which only sounds perfect in it's place
and foreign in another.
Something beautiful
a finger print of your soul
building a mountain to grow from
nothing...
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| From my head down to my goolies |
| 10.03.04 (8:23 pm) [edit] |
Artist: Ali G & Shaggy Lyrics
Song: Me Julie Lyrics
* A to the L to the I to the G-sy
J to the U to the L I easy
S to the H A double-G-sy Y
Oh, boys getting busy
[Repeat *]
Ragamuffin to your love and affection
Mr Lover will be your protection
Sticking to you for your contention
Anything for my Julie, ay
We got some, mmm, make a connection
She and me
We be bangin' to a Shaggy selection
One time for my Julie, ay
** Julie
You know me love-a you truly
From my head down to my goolies
You turn me on with your big babylons
Me Julie
You got some sweet damn coolies
When me touch it with my goolies
You turn me on with your big babylons
I need a cure for this thing I'm feelin'
Shaggy need some sexual healing
I wanna reach and touch the ceilin'
When I'm lovin' my Julie, ay
Me I've been kickin' at my late night dealin'
Words at the piece I'm stealin'
I see your sex and Mr Lover believin'
When I'm lovin' my Julie
[Repeat **]
(Hey, Shaggy, I can rap too)
You is better than J-Lo, next to you she is just a minger
Better than Destiny's Child, well, apart from the lead singer
You is fitter than the Spice Girls including the Ging'er
Give it a shave, 'cos me wanna be in yer
They always claimed that our love was wrong, uh
The people just stared and said it was too long, but
It ain't crap to have a 12-inch
Dong, d-dong, dong, dong
[Repeat **]
[Repeat * , * , **]
... had to put this one on here!
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