West Country Tour (I): Budleigh Salterton

The West Contry Tour Day One, began in London and ended 7 hours later in here. According to Wiki, Budleigh Salterton is a small town on the south coast of Devon, 15 miles south of Exeter. It is actually quite small but also quite beautiful. All the area to be fair. So this was the first destination of the West Country Tour. Lat at night we took a cab to Sidmouth (20 min away) to go to the Folk Festival, the main reason we went this way. Stay tunned for more photos.

PS: I saw an apple tree for the first time in my life :)

West Country

Here I go... and I'm in for a treat :)

Amy Winehouse

Because I happen to be in London, and I always been attracted to all this massive manifestations of feelings (whatever they are), I went to Amy's house in Camden Town and had a look.

Not my favourite singer, not my role mode or anything, but without a doubt she seemed like a very authentic artist in a world of prefabricated and disposable performers. She definitely was no Big Mac.

All I can say is that this all massive and kind of ironic display of public grief and affection reminds me of the verse of that famous Héctor Lavoe's song, that roughly can be translated as: if you don't love me while I'm alive, don't cry for me when I'm dead (si no quieren en vida, cuando muera no me lloren).

Let there be light (please)

My July horoscope according to Susan Miller *

"Even though you may feel you are at the mercy of fate lately, you have more control than you think you do. It's just that the universe likes to throw a few obstacles in your path from time to time to test your resolve. It would be a very boring story if things always stayed the same or always were sunny and bright. You'd have no room to show your character, resourcefulness, and determination! Now you do!"

Sigh.

Today's mood:

*(Susan Miller, strongly recommended btw... even for recreational purposes if you don't believe in those sort of things. I know her thanks to my friend Túlio, one true faithful follower of Susan.)

About the English

"People often say that the English are very cold fish, very reserved, that they have a way of looking at things – even tragedy – with a sense of irony. There’s some truth in it; it’s pretty stupid of them, though. Humor won’t save you; it doesn’t really do anything at all. You can look at life ironically for years, maybe decades; there are people who seem to go through most of their lives seeing the funny side, but in the end, life always breaks your heart."

Michel Houellebecq in The Elementary Particles.

I've already quoted him in the blog, but in Spanish. Since now more than ever I believe we share that sense of irony with the English, and this kind of unexpected similarities are the ones responsible for creating a very undefinable bond, I think it was fair to share Houellebecq's words in English. Right?

Weekend Summary

 

 
  

 



A little bit of Shoreditch for a bday party on The Drunken Monkey, a little bit of Lisbeth Salander (as usual), a little bit of hip-hop with Snoop Dogg on the Lovebox Festival and saving the best for last: my first roast dinner at The Jolly Butchers, can't imagine a better way to spend Sundays afternoons from now on.

Film B&N

 

Ian Stevenson

This is part of Really Shit by Ian Stevenson, "a professional man, secure in his sexuality and proud of his body"... that's what his page says about him.
I'm totally amused -in the best possible way- by this exhibition, currently at the Ship of Fools Gallery, Korte Voorhout 20, The Hague, The Netherlands.

I found out about this expo for Creative Review. You might also check more of Ian's work in his web page.

Tinariwen

t-i-nàriw-en "deserts", plural of t-è-nere "desert"

As a soundtrack for the wonderful diversity you can find in London I share
with you: Tinariwen, a wonderful band, I've just discovered this morning.
Tinariwen is formed by Tuareg musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. The band was formed c. 1979 in refugee camps in Libya but returned to Mali after a cease-fire in the 1990's.

More info in their web page or in Wikipedia.

As heard this morning in BB6 Music :)

When red lights shows, wait here...

The last place on Earth, turns out to be really close to Notting Hill.
If anyone is interested I will give the proper address soon.

If that's what you're into

I can't help it. Flight of the Conchords fever is on. For this past weekend the menu included some fancy-drag-diner-party, chinese at Loughton, beers at the local pub and action movies. Loved every minute of it.
Unfortunately I forgot my camera, so just got to take a couple
of lousy photos with my cellphone.

Philosophy of Mind

 

And one exclamation point.

A portrait, of course.

Instructions On Or Rather Examples Of How To Be Afraid

In a small town in Scotland they sell books with one blank page hidden somplace in the volume. If the reader opens to that page and it's three o'clock in the afternoon, he dies.
In the Piazza Quirinal in Rome, there is one spot, unknown even to the initiated after the nineteenth century, from which, under a full moon, the statues of the Dioscuri can be seen move, fighting against their horses ad they rear back
At Amalfi, where the seacoast ends, there's a jetty which stretches out into the sea and night. Out beyond the last lighthouse, you can hear a dog bark.
A man is squeezing toothpaste onto his brush, all of a sudden he sees the tiny figure of a woman lying on her back. coral sort of, or a breadcrumb that's been painted.
Opening the door of the wardrobe to take out a shirt, an old almanac falls out which comes apart immediately, pages falling out and crumbling, and covers the white linen with millions of dirty paper butterflies.
There was a story about this traveling salesman whose left wrist began to hurt him, just under his wrist watch. When he removed the watch, blood spurted out. The wound showed the imprints of very tiny teeth.
The doctor finishes his examination and his conclusions are very reassuring to us. His cordial and somber voice precedes the medicines, prescriptions for which he is writing out at the moment, seat behind his desk. Every once in a while he raises his head and smiles, to cheer us up. We don't have a thing worry about, we'll be better inside of a week. We sit at ease in our easy chair, happy, and look idly and distractedly about the room. In the shadowed area beneath the desk, suddenly we see the doctor's legs. The trousers are pulled up to just above the knees and he's wearing women's stockings.

Julio Cortázar.

De profesión: Lomógrafa

Ya deben conocerla, ella es mi amiga Susie Lomovitz, lomógrafa profesional. Justo ahora está participando en el concurso Lomography Make Your Phophecy con este ingenioso y hermoso libro de las 10 profecías del futuro analógico (sería lindo un futuro ana-lógico). Miren el making of de su libro.

*

You should know her already, this is Susie Lomovitz, professional lomographer. She's now participating in the Lomography Make Your Phophecy Contest with this wicked "10 Prophecies Book". The ten prophecies of the analogue future, the key to unlocking your analogue potential. Watch the making of video of her book.

THE 10 PROPHECIES BOOK from Susie Lomovitz on Vimeo.

Some clichés

Are better than others.

Paris, Juliette 2011.

Moi

Aujourd'hui en France.

Foux da fa fa.