french dog blues

haven't really been in a blogging mood lately. first things first, if you're on facebook, go to the original blog post. it'll make your life that much richer.

so a lot has happened. china and back.


a lot of food, mahjong, bowing and loud percussive noise took place. i was plonked head-first into the province of women, where the thinness and fatness of various relatives could remain the hot topic for up to 4 hours at a time. the days were punctuated by food, the food punctuated by meeting relatives who don't remember me, who i don't remember, and don't really care all that much about my grandfather either.

a certain relative pranced around smiley and giddy with my uncle's camera taking pictures of everything like it was a big party, all i wanted to do was shake her up, slap the camera out of her hands, and scream. all these crazy rituals, who are we doing them for?

it felt horrible leaving my grandmother alone in that big house, with no one around save a few security guards, i was thankful for the long silent drive up to putuo mountain. the rest of the trip was just more food, i never thought i'd get so sick of eating, but i am.

and now i'm back. i had all these movie reviews drafted, maybe i'll finish them one day and put them up. who knows.

there will be fun times ahead though. the mexico trip planning is happening in full swing. tickets have been paid in full, including my extension in the states for about a month. if any of you would happen to be state side dec 5th - jan 6th, give me a holla. i have no idea where i'm going to be other than new years in new york (with jazz and crew) and somehow ending up in LAX for my flight back would be good.

oh and look, it's my birthday soon. i had no idea how soon until today, i honestly thought it was a few weeks away. 22. i don't really feel anything for it, which is why, for the fourth year running, i'm not doing anything for it. this time last year, i was getting excited to see young and restless for the first time. this time last year, i was buying my first penguin red. this time last year, i was just getting to know deano and mr. daphne. you know what? i'm calling it a pretty good year. the bonsai's still alive, one year and counting.

what else do you people care about reading? probably not much. the new issue of McSweeney's is apparently flying to my doorstep some time soon, i'm pretty effing excited, the believer has been bundles of joy and wholphin was pretty damn great.

my man on the inside. that's dean and his bose-ness, hooked me up with a new plasma. plus trimmings, he came around with his manpower buddy oyoy to fix it up nice, and boy is it nice. once we have all the rest of the shit sorted i'm having a movie night. it should be mexico/cuba themed, starting with the motorcycle diaries. or we should just go ahead and do what i have in my mind and let it just be an all out gael garcia bernal night. boy's don't fret, we could put on bad education, it'll be something for everybody. and i will celebrate it by buying the science of sleep. (is it my fault he's got perfect bone structure?)

oh before i flew off to china i went to see the shins.



am i weird for wanting james mercer to be a creepy uncle who drinks too much at family functions and starts hitting on everyone? well i think he's brilliant anyway, and i love that australia is their second single from wincing, and that the title has nothing to do with the song, and that the video has nothing to do with either the title or the song. i know i've linked this already, but seriously, go watch their take-away show. migod. go. now. open up a new tab, the blog'll still be here.

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now wasn't your day made better by that?

oh and if you're wondering why this post is called french dog blues, it's because babyshambles has a new video. and i really like it. and i don't care how sick people think i am, i love pete doherty. he's like a sick little puppy dog. and wickedly funny when sober. all ironic and drowsy.