saint nicholas and i are still tight.

christmas with the limas. salsa. puerto rican food. lots of catching up. it had been something like 3 years since i had last seen or spoken to most of my mom's family. work, life, location, and family perils all had an affect on the strained line of communication. it was nice to see everybody, meet a few new people, and reminisce about the old days.

good luck finding anything open on christmas day. yes, by all means it is a day made for family to be together, but we have always celebrated on christmas eve, leaving christmas as an open, free day. i spent the morning with my grandparents and aunts. then later met with petersen. we tried to find coffee, anywhere. ended up at a cvs roaming the aisles and scanning the fridges. it was literally a ghost town. we plopped on a bench around the corner in front of some steakhouse. it was great to catch up, i hadn't seen my dear friend in a year. i learned of her boss' amazing design capabilities and how he used them to design houses for the likes of famous drug dealers and actors. later that night we met with will and found a gas station in jupiter that was very much open. coffee in hand we headed to the local cvs to find another bench -- can't be too safe with loitering laws these days.

woke up in a daze. i've been catching up with old friends lately. i saw some old friends from miami in gainesville a week or so ago, some middle school friends last night, and from here and there this past week. i think i went to nearly enough schools in this county to give a decent overview of the life, people, and customs of this land. geez. unfortunately i don't remember some things, i think i just pushed them out of long term memory, ie: this guy i met last night that i used to attend school with, i have no recollection of him whatsoever. this happens. anyway, it's been nice, it's always nice when people come back for the holidays... so there has been a bit more action going on around here.

at the moment i'm trying to configure an ebay account to begin selling all this crap we've inherited from my grandparents' passing and others throughout the years. our little, cozy house is now filled to the brim and some serious garage sales and auctioning are in order. i'm hoping most of the proceeds can go to my relocation to jamaica fund. if you are interested in opening an eclectic hostel we can maybe work a deal, we have enough stuff to set you up.

other than the dizzying clutter we are sifting through, i have been anxiously following the "olsen twins'" monica belucci/chloe sevigny tour '08... also known as, guille and sebastian take over paris. through constant skype conferences and image exchanges i have been keeping afloat on the daily antics of these prima donnas. i leave only this image as a peak into the madness. i wish i was there for the reunion, but soon enough we will all be reuniting in miami, come february.

happy holidays

chesnuts roasting?? i can't smell them..

(memories of christmas 2004 in paris, as i nearly was killed by oncoming/passing traffic)

i have been occupied reading, watching documentaries, oh yea, job hunting, and lately baking. looking very much forward to the winter holidays. the lights are up and lovely downtown... makes up for the warmth and lack of snow (i suppose). last week was super hero baking to meet the deadlines for international delivery.. this week will be more relaxed, but leading closer to the eve of christmas will kick in full gear baking mode. wish we could all be together, but considering all this year has held for me i'm not going to overstep my good fortune. its bittersweet i suppose; that and i can't even enjoy the food, drinks, and goodies i've been slaving over... luckily i'm midway through my "getting back on track path"... 3,5 more weeks or so remaining. i'm trying to stay positive, at least i can watch other people get fat (though i admit its far from enjoyable to be the only oddball out, instead i would relish in joining in with them, in joy and drunken merriment). c'est la vie, eh?

this week/end is going to be full full. storage moving, ebay prepping, baking, house hunting, reuniting with old friends, punk concerts, and much much more. i just wish it was cold, it would make this all the more believeable.

latest ramblings, oh, and a prayer card

looking for anything and everything to keep me occupied and slightly amused...

cult and pasting. ironing plastic. filling out loads of paperwork for peace corps. teaching social skills to a dog. ...

i'm just about ready to start swimming to jamaica.
in fact there isn't so much going on, i did go for a bike ride yesterday.

i leave you with a glimpse at my "prayer card," to be used at cult and paste revivals. if you aren't religious and have no idea what this is, it's a paper that missionaries would pass out to congregations they would come visit, or it would be passed out at their churches and people could pray and think about them. my brother urged me to make one, so the cult and paste community could honor my work as a founder for their cause and i would get 5 minutes of air time. sounds good to me.

welcome to border control

just returned to the land of oprah late last night. not so many interesting airport stories this time around... though i had some fun with my 30 kg of books and the random old czech woman sitting behind me on the way to atlanta. we carried on a 28 minute conversation just fine in czech, thanks to pantomiming and my short answers... then she started babbling and carrying on and i was lost, i told her my czech was in fact not so great and that was the end of our conversing. so the rest of the trip was silent and a random nod and pat on the arm. customs was a bitch! met a ton of people who had just flown from montego bay... talked for an hour whilst waiting in the never ending line. checked the bags again, then ran into some trouble on the security to the plane when the guy scanned my 30kg backpack chocked fill with books. he thought i was carrying rods and something else, i had to assure him by opening and showing the contents, only to be scolded for trying to sneak in an overweight and oversized carry-on. i reassured him that czech airlines approved it, by showing the tag, and he grumbled saying it was too late and let me pass along. luckily my flight was late, so i made it in just enough time. landed in orlando 20 minutes late, to the sounds of anxious and nervous first time flyers of the age of 7 behind me, screaming we were all going to die... which set off all the small kids on the plane crying. landed, lugged my bags outside, and proceeded to wait almost 2 hours, without phone or money to even use a pay phone, thinking i would probably have to spend the night at the airport. luckily i heard my name overhead, struggled to lug everything back inside only to see my father chuckling away with some man and a small child. my sympathies to the small child. so we finally found each other, 2 hours later. made it home, scared the dog to shattered pieces just by walking in the door, gabbed with my prents, and then i hit the second wind. i was up till 3 or 4 trying to fall asleep, finally popped on the dr. house episode i had downloaded before leaving and fell fast asleep.

awoke this afternoon to a gazillion emails expressing joy and sadness of my recent change in location. yes, i miss everybody very much! it was a great summer, i think very much of all of you, i am lucky to have been in the right places at the right times, i learned quite a lot, and i feel that time was very necessary. my love to you all and i hope we meet again, soon. thanks to everyone for coming to my last night at u sudu... it meant a lot to me. i am naive in hoping people will come to visit in jamaica, but it is what is making me convinced still to go to unchartered, new lands where i know no familiar faces. i do hope some will come, but i know its not realistic. now, time for paperwork and the next 3 months of mental preparation.

looking forward to tomorrrow.

live in volvo

daiii! vinicio is playing all over italy right now... i planned horribly, i could have at least worked in another concert for the road. ahh well, next time. maybe i can convince him to come to jamaica??

it's my last weekend in prague, the anticipated visit of pina and eric, and my brother's birthday. time has flown by, march is drawing nearer, and, well, i'm happy that i've had this time at least.

time for coffee and errands.

president obama

(via blog di beppe grillo)

election night at the globe, cnn prague headquarters with wolf blitzer and lucky right hand man, damen dowse... we stayed till the very end, walking home at 7h00 this morning. i've never heard a more moving speech from a president... all of us at the globe were a bit teary eyed. i feel inspiration, motivation, and a positive mindset to brave the long, ardous journey that lies ahead of us. i am moved that it was a real victory, finally, for a well- educated man! its about damn time!

all the expats here and other friends throughout the globe are ecstatic! all the expats you pass have big grinning smiles on their faces because finally we are proud to call ourselves americans... i look forward to the future and the concept of a new unified perspective. i'm very much looking forward to coming home next week... i'm not saying it's going to be perfect or even easy, but i have hope we can at least head in the right direction...

i did... you should too.

feliz dia de los muertos

rocky horror halloween show

cult and paste

cult and paste

bookmark and keep checking in from time to time...

ciudadania/citizenship

wanted: dead or alive

funny thing was brought to my attention last night..

turns out the dutch have been on my hunt since september. something about my visa expiring and not hearing from me. it escalated into them going to my old apartment in search of me. i had no idea any of this was going on, i figured i followed all the rules, did what i was supposed to and left the country, leaving everything in order and peace, so one day i could return. well, obviously not. there was a grave mix-up in what i was told about leaving... anyway, long story very short, i have to send them some documents and i should be in the clear... turns out i am already in the clear since they went to my apartment and didn't find me... the guy said today that i had been under investigation. now i know. jesus! what a mess... and i only hear about it now. i could have cleared this up last month.

volunteers

tom hanks, john candy, and rita wilson brought together for peace corps thailand mayhem.

lucerna music bar

gareth dickson from scotland opened up, nick drake meets brian eno. good stuff, the kind where i would find myself alone, eyes closed, and in a very content dreamy utopian state.

juana molina was nothing short of amazing. she varied it up, some tunes from the new album (which incorporates the new band, and creates a rich mix) and some different older songs. beautiful! and just to watch her do her thing, mezmerizing, the sounds fill your head and leave you a bit dizzy, but in a happy, euphoric ind of way.

i've been listening to the new album in preparation for the concert, and its good stuff. a different type of sound, but very much true to her style. i recommend grabbing it, and just listening over and over and over.

cults and such

i've been keeping busy working on cult and paste.

the site is in transition... i think tomorrow is should be up, it was rumored to take something like 2 days to switch the domain server. today i have been working on the flyer for the big day, it's involved playing around with the logo and business card... but i have been doing heavy research on past and current cults of fame... there are a gazillion something sects and cults out there. insanity. i'm getting some great ideas from brushing up though.. saturday is the venue tour day. i'm going to visit a few places around and then formally decide where we will debut ourselves.

i have a few favorite cults so far, i'm not even through the whole list yet.. of course those crazy krishnas will always be number one in my book, but i'm biased. i'm intrigued by malachi zodok york.... follow the awesome photo below to read more. good stuff.

why we fight

eisenhower's farewell speech

he was well ahead of his time.

absentee ballot, check

just received my absentee ballot through the "internets."

now, to find a place to print and fax it.. i'm a bit ornery to do it because of what that maniac from barcelona told me, about absentee ballots not being counted.

we shall see. we shall see.

hopefully this novella of election bickering will soon come to a close, it's been carried out to long and twisted over and over to the point everyone has missed the key, pertinent issues.

damn politicians and their secret agendas.

this is a report recently shown on al jeezera english, a youtube member renamed it "ohio is latin for 'pure class'," fitting.. though all this mumbo jumbo is making me a bit apprehensive to return to the states.

zelda kaplan

zelda kaplan is awesome.

she recently hit the 90 marker and still is going strong, partying a minimum of 3 up to 5 times a week till the wee hours of the morning and hitting every social affair. she proudly claims to sleep in till two in the afternoon, because she stays up all night and mainly due to insomnia. she sticks to younger crowds because she said she was sick of older people droning on and on about age, sickness, and so on. she's fashion incarnated.

the icing on the cake: she's a top notch humanitarian and feminist. she used to be a ballroom dancer and a golf pro... but in her 50s she became curious about africa from a speaking by the anthropologist margaret mead. she still claims this was the most impacting thing in her life... she headed to africa shortly after and witnessed late 90s post-apartheid africa. she became a lead supporter for women's rights in africa... traveling across the continent raising awareness and giving workshops to small villages about the inhumane practices women must endure. she continues to raise money and awareness through her charity, and until recently was jetsetting back and forth to africa.

she's a definite force and has learned the trick of enjoying life to the fullest. i'm awestruck.

queen of lincoln road

irene williams: queen of lincoln road

i love her... she designs and makes all of her own clothes just for her own enjoyment. she's lived in south beach for over 20 years and doesn't leave the house without a hat.. she's just amazing. the kind of old person you would wish to be: witty and creative.

gomorra

roberto saviano is brave... very, very brave.

i have been wanting to read his book for a while, but in italian, so i feel that since i'm getting through il nome della rosa fairly decent enough, i would finally start to take a crack at it; plus umberto eco himself has called saviano a 'national hero.' saviano is a born and raised napolitano, who, despite the death threats from the comorra, still resides in napoli though armed with bodygaurds (from the italian ministry of interior affairs). a couple days ago there was another serious threat on his life, this time for december. it takes a lot of courage to reveal the truth and try to stir enough attention to change peoples' thinking or outlooks to what power they can have... awareness and solidarity can be attained. it's speculated whether the comorra is most upset at him for publishing the book, for all the people it has reached, or both. just recently it was released on the big screen and this is even more infuriating to them, making his life that much more difficult... it's tough work trying to help a city, country, and fellow countrymen.

i'll close with the blog from beppe grillo:

"Roberto Saviano has sent me a copy of his book: ‘Gomorra’ with a few words for me inside it. Reading it made me think of Pasolini. I’m thinking that Roberto is a courageous young man to be protected. Roberto has written a book that should be obligatory in the schools. A book that represents Italy today and that should be read in class in place of ‘Cuore’ by Edmondo De Amicis. Young people in Naples work on projects for the Camorra. They are cocopro {on short-term contracts} in the black economy. They are lost generations. They are the starting point to save Naples.

“They are signed up as soon as they are able to be faithful to the clan. Aged from 12 to 17 years old, many are sons and brothers of members, many others come from families of precarious workers. They are the new army of the clans of the Neapolitan Camorra.
They come from the historic centre, from the zones of Sanità, Forcella, Secondigliano, rione San Gaetano, Quartieri Spagnoli, Pallonetto and are recruited by affiliations structured into different clans.
Their number is a real army. There are multiple advantages for the clans. A really young person gets half the salary of an adult member on the lowest grade, and rarely has to support their parents, they don’t have the encumbrance of a family, no hours to keep, no need for a regular salary and above all they are willing to be constantly on the streets.
The roles are diverse and have different responsibilities. They start with the sale of soft drugs, mainly hashish. Almost always the young person is positioned in the most crowded streets. In time they start to sell pills and they almost always get to use a motor cycle.
Finally, cocaine that is taken directly into the universities, outside the bars, in front of the hotels, at the metro stations. The groups of baby-vendors are basically in the flexible sales economy because they are less visible, they sell drugs in between playing football or having a ride on the motor cycle and often they go directly to the home of the client.
Very often the clan doesn’t oblige the youngsters to work in the morning, in fact they continue to go to school, even because if they miss school it’s easier to locate them.
Often the really young members after the first few months of work, go around carrying weapons. A way of defending themselves and to give them status. A field promotion that promises them the possibility to rise in the ranks of the clan. Automatic and semi-automatic pistols that they learn to use on the rubbish tips of the province and in the underground caves of Naples.
When they become trustworthy and they have the total trust of the boss of the zone, then they can take on a role that is well beyond that of pusher. They become ‘pali’ {look-outs}.
In a city street assigned to them, they check that the lorries coming in to unload merchandise to the supermarkets, shops or salumerie, are the ones set up by the clan, or if they are not, they indicate when the distributor to a shop is not one of the “chosen” ones.
Even in the building sites, the presence of the ‘pali’ is fundamental. The contractors often sub-contract to building companies of the Camorra groups. But at times the work is entrusted to companies that are “not advisable”.
From ‘Gomorra’ by Roberto Saviano"

[beppe grillo's blog]

ten rolls

happiness was just delivered to my door.

off to pick up the last 10 months of rolls today from foto skoda... hope it's some good stuff, i've forgotten what i've snapped since then.

juana molina

lucerna music bar
22 october 2008
http://musicbar.cz/

peace and love

“this is a serious message for everybody watching my update right now. peace and love, peace and love.

i want to tell you, please, after october 20, do not send fan mail to any address you may have, nothing will be signed after october 20.

if that is the date on the envelope, it is going to be tossed.

i am warning you with peace and love, i have too much to do, so no more fan mail, thank you, thank you and no objects to be signed, nothing.

anyway peace and love, peace and love."

// ringo starr

how will you meet your end

i'm at a loss for words much less emotional response.

this month alone 2 friends of mine have passed... the month before my grandfather.

i have coped fine with my grandfather's death, my parents took it much harder, granted as they knew him longer and had a deeper relationship with him. i just have memories of my grandfather in the basement doing paperwork and the occasional smart witted line... that's about it. we talked, but it was mainly one way conversation or constantly reminding him of who i was... i am still grateful of him attending my college graduation, and that i will always remember, along with the architect cut lines... he was an aeronautical engineer and didn't favor architects. so to cope with me becoming an architect he would make cracks. in the end after my grandmother's death i think it was surprising he managed to keep chugging along. after witnessing my great-grandmother, great-aunts, and my grandparents transitions or slight alterations in old age i have learned i will do things differently. i would not wish anyone to be cooped up in a home without familiar faces. there is no point in living at that moment. you become a distant memory and forgotten about, only to be called on major holidays if you should be so lucky.

the part i have a bit of trouble swallowing is kids so young passing. a friend of mine from high school recently passed from his battle with cancer... he was only 23. my heart breaks to know all he had to suffer, but he became such a source of inspiration to others... he passed his encouragement and stories to others. he was remarkable at such a young age. he will be missed, but to know he is no longer suffering is comfort in itself. i know he has made an impact and moved many people, myself included. i found out just today another friend also recently passed at only 25... for her it was more of a coming to terms with personal and deep rooted questions. they will be remembered for their amazing abilities to inspire those around them, creating surges of thought and reflection, they were both dynamic individuals. in the end, we all have our time and we have to make the most of it, through interactions and sparks. i remember them today and let their memories be directed to inspiration.

palin bingo

palin bingo

the only positive thing i can say about this woman is that she is sparking enough creativity in people.
hmm, is this muse the new black?

exactly

pintday

conservative playtime

(via mjchamplin)

preface to lyrical ballads

poetry is the image of man and nature. the obstacles which stand in the way of the fidelity of the biographer and historian, and of their consequent utility, are incalculably greater than those which are to be encountered by the poet, who has an adequate notion of the dignity of his art. the poet writes under one restriction only, namely, that of the necessity of giving immediate pleasure to a human being possessed of that information which may be expected from him, not as a lawyer, a physician, a mariner, an astronomer or a natural philosopher, but as a man. except this one restriction, there is no object standing between the poet and the image of things; between this, and the biographer and historian there are a thousand.

william wordsworth –preface to lyrical ballads, 1802

designblok

designblok

i would dance with him

in rememberance: john lennon

imagine peace

tales from el prat

well, i made it back... finally. i missed my flight on sunday, spent 36 hours at el prat, paid more money for another ticket, met the colombian womens' junior football league, witnessed an obscene, obnoxious, old german man who seemingly had been stranded for a while at the airport, penniless left only to search for left/stuck public phone change, tourists from allover, mainly upper middle class america, fights with ticket offices, ... it was eventful at the least.

train to venezia... long. i left sunday at 17h21 and arrived 08h33. switched many times, finally at 00h00 we switched to trenitalia. we were warned of a scheduled robbery from 02h00-04h00... just to keep it in mind. the lady accompanying me in the compartment was an older czech woman, who spoke czech, german, and 10% english... she was stressing the entire trip after the warning, hassling the conductor every 15 minutes and asking me what to do. i told her to hide everything in the mattress linings. after enough harrassment, the conductor convinced the driver to keep going straight, not stopping for the scheduled heist in vienna. the woman proceeded to tell me that austria was now worse than bulgaria. she then gave the conductor a chocolate bar for his kindness. the next morning as we were pulling into mestre she filed a complaint. there was zero sleep to be had. checked in and headed across the bridge to kill time and get some espresso, surprise/chance running into pedro at santa lucia.

the biennale was good... though i have to say not as great as 2006, though i still walked away with a few things to think about. it was great to be back in italy, my italian has greatly improved... i'm very happy for this. in fact i'm halfway through il nome della rosa! ran into genova kids and rice. i felt the whole time i was back in genova mode. highlights would have to be the un studio video installations, droog's installation, italian housing studies, the italian pavilion, ... disappointments would have to be venezuelan pavilion (total propaganda), spanish pavilion, belgian pavilion (though we made the most of a building full of confetti), the fact frank gehry was alloted space for a wooden trash heap, fuksas' overrated computer generated living conditions, the gondola video exhibit....

roma was great fun. we got to stay in the waldorf-astoria for free, obviously you can imagine we were out of our element as everyone was over the top diplomatic or posh, and then there was pedro and i with our backpacks... it was a sight to behold! it was a bit out of the way, on top of the mountain, but we managed to find our way in the middle of the night... lucky for us there were random people still stirring around town. met some interesting people at the ciampino airport... our flight was delayed 3 hours! so 1 hour was spent just standing in line, as 10 minutes turned into another 10 minutes, .... until an hour had passed and we realized we were still standing in line. go figure. arrived to beauvais quite late... listened to old italian men telling tales about the french. long bus ride!

i somehow remembered the way to mathilde's flat, 3 years later... but conveniently forgot the codes. no phone, no card for the public phone, ... , i was planning to camp on the street when a young guy passed by heading into the building, i convinced him i wasn't homeless and was actually a friend. got in, but rang the wrong doorbell at 3 am, as i was exiting i saw the note and the bulging door mat. saved! an hour later the guy who's bell i rang came home. i woke up sick! this was basically my week, sick but trying to enjoy the time. met with alex, his flatmate fred, the straight fashionista... gibert's birthday shindig... met all of paris' brightest, newly declared medical professionals... domique perrault exhibition at pompidou... world's best falafels... second hand romping... farewell party to a newly befriended medical internist.

plane to girona. bus ride to barcelona. nocturnal exploration. nightcap with a napolitano and an ex-cia opperative, who pushed my buttons polically, as he was publicly declaring his conservative republican views, admiration for mccain and his attraction to palin. jesus! the blood pressure was ticking. he basically ridiculed me for being a green party supporter and my belief in global warming. he made racist comments against black people when i answered his questions about moving to jamaica with the pc. yea overall, good friendly hostility.

barcelona is amazing, once you escape the mad tourists and the traps which try to lure you in. the mix of cultures is so diverse, the neighborhoods and districts all different and enjoyable for something distinct. i met so many interesting people, saw some good local performances, and am ready to move when pc is over. i'm sold. catalan sounds like a strange mix of portuguese, french, and a drop of spanish. but it adds even more dimension to the city when you hear all these different sounds. my hostel was full of italians, brasilians, and canadians. made friends fast. went out the last night with my roommates, some girls from rio who were studying in salamanca. i'm also a big fan of the parks. i got hassled more so than in italy... but all you can do is laugh it off. nothing offensive. i also got cornered by a mormon on my walk to the forum... i told him it was a shame i spoke only italian, lucky for me, he was italian and filled my bag with all these italian pamphlets. only me of course. i made an effort to try to experience all the different neighborhoods and see all the different types of living environments. quite informative. thoroughly loved park guell.

missed my flight the next morning, as i was convinced it was at 13h00, yea pretty sure it was at 11h00... so had to camp out in el prat waiting for confirmation of another flight. so began my intensive observations, random interactions, and strange coincidences.... and above all a very long wait. i filled myself with sesame bars and cafe con leches to keep sustenance... like the majority of my trip. had a long talk with some colombian guys, who favored me as soon as i had some nice things to say about their motherland. life is tough, they made this that much clearer to me. i passed the whole night and early morning hours with them, and once they left i had a lot to process. i witnessed a lot of thought provoking actions, scenes, and discussions in that airport... amazing you can pick up so much in a space for so many hours.

i finally got to my flight a million hours later.. it was full of upper class, older spaniards. i sat next to 2 couples who were friends going to prague for the first time. the man next me hated flying, but decided to give it another try. we talked the whole trip about traveling, spain, history, prague, and the czech republic... i'm sure i sounded like a cavewoman speaking spanish. it was a mix of italian and spanish, and many bo's. regardless, i think i attracted attention, all the rows around me started asking for information about prague, asking me to draw maps and write down names for them... as soon as we were passing the alps everyone ripped out their cameras flashing pictures left and right, and before i knew they were making me pose by the window so they could remember the girl who helped them. why? i can't imagine their expressions when they return home and begin reviewing their photos to stumble upon a dark eyed white girl smiling next to a window with the alps in the lower background. anyway, at baggage claim i got hugs and kisses and promises that if we ran into one another on the streets of prague i would be in for a dinner or drinks. i thanked them kindly, and broke it to them we may not, but to enjoy the trip anyway.

i made it to the metro, but unfortunately attracted the attention of some homeless, white pill-popping drug addicts, who kept staring waiting for me to make a move. i tricked them into getting off at mustek, but the damn backback with the spanish tag set all of the prague petty thieves on my trail. long, long way home. got tricked into trivia night, which we scored another 3rd place, damn shitty music and movies, and a 2 point penalty for teams of 5 people. finally made it home to pass out around 1hoo. more than 48 hours awake at that point, i don't know how i figured i would be good at trivia without sleep and sickness prevailing. regardless, good time had by all, despite our losing.... usually takes a few hours to overcome we've lost.

made it back in time for prague's designblok. looking forward to checking it out today till the 12th.

hitting the streets

leaving for 2 weeks tomorrow...

venezia
roma
paris
barcelona

since i'm migrating to an island in the middle of the caribbean i figure i should see my friends before i leave... and i have lucked out in that all the ticket prices are relatively affordable. i found a 20 euro ryan air flight from paris to barcelona, so im jumping on that, i have some friends there as well, so could be quite nice, especially since i've been wanting to go for a while now. i leave tomorrow, will try to keep posted, but might prove difficult. first stop is the biennale, meeting with pedrin, and then heading to roma. flying to paris then a hop to barcelona and back on the 5th to prague. send word if you'll be around those destinations.

iron fireman 2008

http://www.expats.cz/prague/event.php?id=9039

i cannot begin to describe the rigorous obstacle course which is involved for these competitions. top professional firemen worldwide, who have been training for years all come together to display their fantastic superhuman type abilities. this year, our friend damen dowse was signed up to participate. damen is not a professional, nor does he have the proper training..., in fact the night before we went out for drinks and merely hours before competing he downed a pilsner. so in reality, damen is like you and me, but he took the challenge and well, gave it his best before receiving oxygen from the paramedics.

so to damen i owe a day well spent and enjoyed. the humor that revolved around this day was incomparable to anything else i've experienced. i am happy to say, he survived. so i suppose it's the effort that truly does matter, though you won't be saving anyone's life, least of all your own, it's nice to say you tried? as well as competing with all professionals from around the globe, damen was the only american to participate. so that has to also count for something, no?

biennale di venezia

the biennale kicks off today... anticipated wait. i think it will be interesting.. though it may be hard to beat 2006. i'm planning to attend the end of this month, if anyone is interested in joining please feel free. it will all be over on the 23rd of november.

optimistic view of doom

march madness will be broadcasted from a remote island

pc has come through. i leave in march. and i just found out i'm going to jamaica. i'm pretty excited. please start planning your holidays, as i am unable to leave for 2 years, company & familiar faces are most welcome.

i look forward to rekindling my childhood love of saltfish and reggae... and being surrounded by ian fleming's 007 inspiration.

on this day.

its the 11th of september again... annually it remains a constant reminder of the events of the day. unfortunately, thanks to my profession, it has become a game and a battle. now, correct me if i'm wrong, but i thought the competition was a means to creating a memorial. now so many years later, the commisioners, jurers, and architects are still delegating, fighting, and have yet to reach consensus -- though they did decided on michael arad, a youngish newbie (not so distant to maya lin's introduction), who's modest proposal caught the right eyes... but even still, he was chosen in 2006, and now 2 years later, it is still in question as to whether it will even be carried out.

it's just amazing how something which was meant to draw more light and importance to this grave subject, has turned into an unresolved, ongoing dilemma. which is now stirring and attracting negative media.

worst case scenario: blackhole

i have loved science since grade school. i wanted to study physics or mathematics in highschool, though after much thought i became an architect. it's never too late i realize. but despite naive schoolgirl dreams, i know better than to risk an entire universe on a whim. granted discovery is risk. it's the very basis. but when does it become too questionable? how can we decipher between mild and extreme when our perspectives become so clouded, that for overall discovery nothing is too risky? i don't know what will happen this week when those crazy scientists turn on this machine. true, we could disappear in 38 seconds like the above animation clip.. though i'm trying to keep an open mind. maybe we get sucked into another universe.. i don't know. anything is a possibility when you do not know the odds or the affects. they are simply playing a game with the earth. granted we all die. i've accepted this. but really, do i want to die of some scientists' stupid accident...? deep, deep down, not so much. so we'll see what happens. no point in crossing my fingers for this one... in that i see little hope of this creating any impact.

the job hunt continues...

i've sent inquiries all over spain, starting in barcelona to madrid to bilbao to seville.. all over paris, milano, roma, berlin, copenhagen, oslo, stockholm, helsinki, back in amsterdam and rotterdam, shanghai, beijing, tokyo, osaka, and seoul. i hope something will come about with all this effort. still working on nonprofits on the side. at least i have this research project i can back up on & the website to figure out -- keeping me occupied.

my drive thru

the graphic make-up is super creative... not to mention my love of all 3 contributors. i'm reminded of that awesome polaroid video that surfaced from not too long ago.

sunspots

we watched a documentary last night on sun spots & what physicists propose they may be, how they affect and are affected by the sun, and other various theories they each back. notice the size of the earth (fig.1) in comparison to the sunspots... sunspots are relatively cooler than their surroundings, hence their darker color. in 1859, a powerful sunflare directed towards earth, interrupted the telegraph service & caused visible aurora borealis in havana, hawaii, and rome. again in 2003 there was another sunflare, this time it was captured with satellites. supposedly they can be seen from earth, without use of a telescope, but are "blindingly bright."

garfield minus garfield

this made me smile. i thought about this as i was debating what to do with my life, though i could think of something better than lawn ornaments for the afterlife.

signed, sealed, delivered ...

to every office in barcelona, madrid, and seville. if there are any other recommendations, please inform me. i have 3 versions of a "portfolio" and i am content with all 3 as means to get "me" across. now is the tough part... more sitting, waiting, hoping.

port-a-folio

pc is finito. greenpeace can find another mole to enter data. i am hesitant to go back to the land of egomaniacs, but i need something legitimate to get my foot in the door and work my way to becoming legal -- and the power of a piece of paper with a university and architecture tag will get me there. so plan b, spain. but to get there i have had to update my work... so i've been non-stop working on portfolio. and finally it's "done," i have my letter of recommendation, plus risotto's letter.. so i feel set and ready to brace myself for this next big step.

genius = yesstudio.co.uk

nessun gruppi in italia... ma perche?!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/2494053/Italian-mayor-bans-gatherings-of-three-or-more-people-as-soldiers-hit-streets.html

massimo giordano, the mayor of novara, italy has forbidden people to go around in groups of 3 or more... if caught there will be a 500 euro fine. this sounds like facism is growing strong -- to boot, there will now be military troops strolling the streets of all the bigger cities throughout italy, supposedly in response to growing crimes/violence?

global environmental issues 101, and other subjects ...

in lieu of the decision to set a pc deadline, i've started the search for what to do with my life... considering i want to roam from architecture and design, and explore some other avenues, i'm looking more into environmental organizations, landscape/public space design, water management and agricultural organizations, researching, teaching, human rights organizations, ... you name it i'm looking out.

so i've been brushing up on my post collegiate knowledge of environmental studies... mix of current debates, including the deforestation, ozone depletion, acid deposition, desertification, pollution problems in developing countries as well as in marine life, ... it's all quite fascinating, though i don't know how capable i am of pulling it off.

i've also been learning quite a bit about the medical world, and cells are by far the coolest things. i'm completely enamored by them -- structurally, physically, and their whole process/life cycle. i never took anatomy, i was more into physics, chemistry & mathematics... regardless, all of this has been putting thoughts in my head of should i have gone into science or mathematics? im a bit jaded by the whole arch/design world, yes i love it, it's amazing, but more saturated by the hour -- everyone is an artist these days. and shit is being worshiped. personally i've gotten really disgusted with the whole field and at this moment in my life don't feel motivated or compelled to play along. but i want to find my balance -- i want to bring back that feeling of awe and passion for my work. i used to have it for architecture and design. i've even thought about going back to art school. but in reality, what could i accomplish with that?

my brother suggests geography would set me in place and help me find the lost pieces... maybe there is truth to this.

i know for sure i want to return to a spanish speaking environment. i would love to go to south america, but i'm torn to remain on the european continent a bit longer -- so spain is looking really good right about now. i've been researching ngos in spain, france, italy, and back in the netherlands. there are some hopefuls within spain and italy. at this point i'm applying everywhere for everything.

also, i've begun to wonder if i should tell these pc people i would be open to teaching or doing environmental work if there is more need and openings -- though i have no background? would this discredit me??

it's times like this when my mind wanders & analyzes all the possibilities that drives me MAD.

reports of the bike/camp trip

the bike/camp trip in moravia was quite enjoyable, though day one had me a bit worried, as the first hill passed, i was destroyed... in truth, it improved as i became more acquainted with the mountain bike. it helped to know that everyone else was struggling a bit as well. the land was beautiful, the wine delicious, the people friendlier, and unexpectedly chillier at night. i thoroughly enjoyed myself as did everyone else, though i won't be eating any more klobasa (one was more than enough). it was great to see another side of the czech republic -- it was very reminiscent of southern france, with many spots looking more english.

highlights of the trip

1) the most bizarre/amazing camping spot -- amusement park for camping is the best description

2) the introduction to "string" bowling on an un-waxed floor at the local hotel

3) analysis of the camping etiquette (dutchies vs. czechsters)

4) "buzzkill levey,"we were happily buzzed before we arrived from a wine tasting of 8 odd glasses, we reached the end of the dirt road to a 60cm platform elevated above the water, which stretched for about 5km, with holes along the entire path -- needless to say, it killed our buzz as we had to focus on living and not crashing, and minding the camped fishermen along the way.

5) "shit house blues" at the apollo camp site

6) stumbling upon the oracle of delphi in the czech republic...

7) learned a thing or two about the importance of bicycle registration for train transport

8) witnessed a midget skinhead

overall, i'd say fun for the whole family.

25/07 bikini atoll and the sex bombs (the globe)

production

current confessions

reading, designing, and writing... a welcome vacation from the sweatshop. though still working on my dutch for reasons unbeknown to me. i remain forever in limbo, but i'm trying to make the most of it... i'm hoping for some direction in a couple weeks. other than that i am daily glued to google earth, analyzing cities through dissection... it's filling the desire of founding a think-tank, plus it's keeping my mind from wandering on and on about being forgotten about on a remote pacific island...

11/07 uncle cletis and the medicine show (the globe)

gorilla -- tour de france

vamos españa!

wien

just arrived back from vienna midnight last night. the trip was great. it was insane there -- all football, all fans, all crazy. i had never been before so it was quite nice. i got a bit lost when i arrived, because i had 6 different hostels and addresses written down, and i couldn't remember which was the one. i stumbled along a nice, drunk austrian guy, who, while trying to help me, tore my map in 3 pieces... but he did find my way, so for that i was grateful, despite the map.

i finally found the hostel ruthensteiner, checked in, and was on the hunt for somewhere to watch the spain vs russia match. i met these spanish guys from the hostel, they were sitting in a corner of the hostel talking crap about people, and i went to say something to them in spanish, which shocked them a bit... so then they invited me to stay & hang out with them... i went with them to watch the match at some bar. it was pouring rain in buckets, so everyone was soaked... of course spain won, so the streets were filled with spanish fans, flags, and chaos -- despite the rain. i was lectured all night for my support of italy, and was told it was a sin against my mother that i didn't support spain from the start.



friday morning i awoke at 7am and headed to the czech embassy.. groggy eyed, i waited for the gates to open with several others. finally the opened at 9, and i was second in line.. no sooner was i called, then the lady helping me retorted for me to leave. i looked at her dumbfounded, and explained the situation, slowly and clearly. there was a fight, and she basically put me in time out. i was asked to sit on the side, and she disappeared... for over an hour. meanwhile, there was only one other line open -- to apply for visas, so i receieved many a harsh stare, gaze, whatever you wish to call it, from the people that had followed behind me in the line. finally the visa application lady realized everybody just wanted to pick up their visas, so she started to help them. i was soon after called up, but by a different lady than before. she explained the situation to me, handed me 2 passports with visas, and told me i should be happy i got them, as it was an illegal stunt i pulled, and the other visa would have to be redone, something about one day insurance coverage. i tried to hassle her enough where she might have given it to me, but it ended up she shooed me away. i think that will be my first and last czech embassy experience.



i tried to save the rest of the day, as it was still early.. walked around the city, scouring for architectural gems... in the end i was lead on too many false paths, though i did see quite a bit. again i met with the guys friday night and they presented me with a spanish jersey, no.9 - fernando torres.. they said that would start my support for the spanish team. and it was one of the guy's birthday at midnight, so we all went out to celebrate. we had a nice salutary shot at the bar of the hostel, then headed to the wombat hostel's bar for the rest of the night. these guys cracked me up, the whole night 2 of them were hitting on girls left & right, but saying all these things to them that weren't so nice or just making stuff up in spanish -- of course none of the girls spoke or understood spanish so they thought they were saying all these romantic things, so it was pretty funny to watch for a while... and i realized i was exhuasted from the night before, that morning, and i would have to again wake up early saturday to check out.



saturday i woke up early to check out, then just roamed the city for the whole morning, then headed to the stadtpark for the afternoon -- where i feel asleep for an hour or so... i didn't realize i got a lot of sun till after i arrived in prague. red red red! i made friends fast with 2 czech guys as we were waiting for the bus, talked about football and the czech republic.. and i ended up sitting next to this girl from new york on holiday and had a nice chat about life, travel and all that jazz. it was already pretty late when i got back, but we headed to see a friend play some music, though i think it was soo late by then he had already finished. regardless, we had drinks, caught up, and had a great time.