OH MY BLOG

Day 20 - Hamburg

2009-08-27T08:09:00.006-04:00

Arrived just after midnight so I suppose I can start there. Elli met me at the station and we went to eat falafel. Met a man who sings dressed as a tulip. Went to Elli's to drop my stuff off and we had a beer at a bar. It was nice but smokey. We were there until 4 and then slept in a little. We went on a walk to find shoes since I've left 3 pairs in Haarlem. I found some for only 5 euro. She took me to see some nice cafes etc to get ideas from. We went to Park Fiction and met 2 friends there. We drank and ate chocolate. We were a little hungry and so we ate little pizzas. Only 2 Euro! You pick the toppings and he puts the pizza into the fire oven. Mmmm! Then the 4 of us to a bar Felix (remember?) used to work at. We had chats. Elli and I went to Boutique Bizarre which is a large and really classy sex shop. They had everything! Then home to sleeeeep.

Day 19 - Pukkelpop / Train

2009-08-27T08:01:00.003-04:00

Up and atom, I used to think that's what the saying was. It's Sunday, festival is over. Packed up and went to Alexandra's. Took another wonderful shower. Headed over to the rail station. Proceeded to get on the wrong train, but it worked out really well. I did arrive to Hamburg an hour later than anticipated but the trains I rode were beautiful and I got to stop in Köln long enough to peek outside and see this crazy church. Interesting history! I was on the train all day but I quite liked it. I think I could live on a train! In Köln I also ate Nutella Wunder.

Day 18 - Pukkelpop

2009-08-27T07:48:00.004-04:00

Headed over earlier today to see Telepathe. They were decent but nothing amazing. Worked out well since they played in the tent with the bleachers around it so I could relax. Micachu & The Shapes were also decent. The guitarist at one point said 'that was my first and last attempt at crowd participation' and everyone cheered. Not because they were happy about it, because they are either deaf or dumb. Deerhunter was amazzzzinggggg. Love them! Really good. Wow. Yo! Majesty was really fun. The one lady gets all wild and takes off her clothes. Then more crazy sexy cool with Peaches. She was awesome! Really great performance. Really great outfits. I love the costume changes. Her and her band know what's up. Klaxons were next and I had a good spot (I did for every show except Kraftwerk sadly) since it was easy to arrive early although most people didn't think to do that. Compared to the last performances I had witnessed they were pretty boring. I had become spoiled and I left to relax. Moderat was the last performace and I had to relax during it because I was so tired. They did really good though. Set up was looking like Kraftwerk minus 1. Video projections were kind of... not good. The music was amazing though!

Day 17 - Pukkelpop

2009-08-27T07:30:00.005-04:00

Since I was so muddy and there was plenty of time before anything good began, I decided to go take a real shower at Alexandra's house. Really nice! Decided not to drink today since I did that enough the day before and missed performances. Based on the suggestion of the people I was staying with I saw Buraka Som Sistema. Pretty fun but got tired of it after awhile. Then Alter Ego, nice! Kap Bambino, really exciting! Everyone went wild. Great! Birdy Nam Nam was good and made the crowd happy. Health was enjoyable, scared a lot of the kids away which was fun to watch. Fever Ray had a magical performace, like a ceremony. Vitalic did awesome and everyone loved him. He was so happy smiled a lot and gave the heart with his hands, you know. I was front and center and so were a lot of sweaty shirtless dudes. They were ruining my experience so I stepped back a little and it was good. Wasn't able to dance but didn't really want to anyway. Then... Kraftwerk! I should have left Vitalic early to get a better spot, but I didn't. There were so many people at the main stage but I managed to find a place that was on a little hill so I could see their figures in a row and the projections. Great to see them! Cried a little during 'Computer World.' Best way to end a festival night. Not sure the kids could understand but oh well. I became addicted to fries with ketchup & mayo. Looks sloppy, but SO GOOD.

Day 16 - Pukkelpop

2009-08-26T11:45:00.007-04:00

Woke up really warm in the tent. This day was SO HOT. Saw The Juan Maclean. John was not happy to play early but they did well. Highlight was Nancy Whang singing 'Launch me into space' it was amazing. Next I met up with the group I was staying with and we saw Shantel & Bucovina Club Orkestar based on their suggestion. They were really fun party Balkan music. Good singing, performers and crowd all having a great time. I went back to the camping. The campgrounds are across the street from the fest, I had to wait to cross and when we cross it's a huge amount of people. I did not make it back in time because there was such a hold up at the entrance. So I miss Passion Pit, but really it's not a big deal. I went back to the tent for a couple more beers since there's nothing too good happening until a few hours. I get back in time for a good spot for Andrew Bird. That was a beautiful show, of course. Then Simian Mobile Disco. Fun! A storm apparently was happening outside at this time, making everything really wet. After SMD I was feeling kind of drunk since I drank a water bottle of wine on top of the beers from earlier. I decided to stop by the tent to have water and food but I couldn't find it anywhere. Since there was a storm, the tarp and the flag were taken down. There are so many tents here and they are all so close together. I looked for two hours (not exaggerating) in the sloppy mud. Eventually I found it but I had began to miss Ladyhawke (not a big deal) and Beirut (big deal.) So I fell asleep in fear that if I left again I would become lost.

Day 15 - Rotterdam / Hasselt

2009-08-26T11:35:00.005-04:00

I rode my rental bike with my huge backpack and 2 bags. Yikes! Had to wait for a draw bridge to open and close, not fun when there's a train to catch. I made it in time. I made it to Hasselt and my phone wasn't working to reach Alexandra so I could let her know I'm in town. She was letting me leave my stuff at her place while I go to Pukkelpop, the music festival. Also to borrow a tent. Luckily I found an internet cafe. I reached her on the phone and stopped by her father's place which was so near the station. The house was really cool, as her father is an architect. I arrived at the festival. Crazy kids everywhere. Found out the guestlist is only good for the day a band is playing, so being on guestlist was really of no use for me in the end. I may not have gone to the festival if I'd known I was going to pay so much for it but it's okay because I saw so many great performances. This was the day before the actual festival starts but most people arrive to set up the tent in a good location. I was meeting Alexandra's friends there so we could be in a group together. Took awhile but I found them and they reserved a location for my tent. They were very nice people and we got along. The flag to mark our camping area so we can find it easily is the American flag.

Day 14 - Rotterdam

2009-08-26T11:22:00.003-04:00

Went for a swim at the lake! Ate sub-par falafel. Hung out at a cafe by some water and drank a nice beer, La Chouffe. It came in it's own glass and even with it's own coaster! Fancy! Went back to Kevin's and had a great snack from nearby, cheese souffle or something. We played records and I tried to also but it was difficult as I've not used vinyl to DJ in many many years and I was unfamiliar with most of the records although they were good. We recorded a 1 hour mix. I don't have it yet, sorry. Then home to sleep so I can wake up for the morning train.

Day 13 - Rotterdam

2009-08-18T06:25:00.004-04:00

Woke up slowly after so many late nights here. Went on a ride around town with Bitsy. Into some nice stores. One was a store just for dental care. I bought the best toothbrush in the world, 5680 bristles on it! Found Pustefix bubbles, which are the best bubbles in the world. What a great day. Back home to relax for a minute. Chatting with Susanna. Then Ghislain and I went to his friend Kevin's house for dinner. Kevin has excellent taste in music and is a DJ so we listened to vinyl the whole time. He made pesto pasta which was lovely. It was another good night.

Day 12 - Rotterdam

2009-08-18T06:13:00.005-04:00

Attempted to go to a fake lake with Bitsy and Susanna. There was a crazy car race that blocked off many streets and it was so difficult. Ghislain called and we decided instead to meet with him and relax at Hotel New York, which is where the pilgrims left on a boat to arrive into NYC. Hence, the name. We took it easy, because that's what you're supposed to do on Sunday. Saw a crazy huge bridge lift up for a little sailboat. Cute. Then back to the apartment. Ghislain made a nice dinner. There was a birthday party so we went to it, kind of late. Stayed there until oh gee, I'm not sure. It was quiet nice! A camp fire and people around chatting. Some strange and great conversations. Then to sleeeep.

Day 11 - Rotterdam

2009-08-18T05:33:00.004-04:00

Wow! This day was the perfect day. I rented a bike! We went to the market to pick up some food. The prices were amazing. We got 6 beautiful red bell peppers for 1.5 euro if I remember correctly. Had a small visit to the school where most people I've met attend. It's cool, and old elementary school. We did a little more biking etc. Then we had beautiful sandwiches. We met with Ghislain and had espresso at the fake beach. Bitsy and I went on a bike ride to this amazing park with a huge slide! On the way we found a carnival, we went on the 'ghost train' together and I went on a more intense ride as well. Well, the ghosts were intense too of course. Then to Ghislain's place. We ate some dinner on the terrace and had a photo shoot. VHS Fest is video shorts with an after party of dancing. Great combo! We had a lot of fun and the music was good. Wow! Wow!

Day 10 - Amsterdam / Haarlem / Rotterdam

2009-08-16T15:21:00.006-04:00

Breakfast with Katrin in Haarlem, then she went to explore Haarlem. Ate falafel for lunch. Saw street art. Walked down random streets again. Bookstores. Tried to rent a bike, unsuccessfully. They were out of bikes :( Didn't feel like trying too hard to rent a bike since it looked pretty stressful to ride around there anyhow. Walked around the water, had a seat. Checked out the red light district, pretty awkward. It wasn't night, so nothing too exciting. I arrived back to Haarlem in time for a BBQ with Marlise, Katrin, and Marlise's parents! They were really nice. The food was so good. Satay sauce with the chicken! Lovely. Drank some wine and tea, packed my bags. Therefore, I forgot 3 pairs of shoes. Took the train to Rotterdam and had to pee-pee for real for real. Arrived to Bitsy's house in Rotterdam and there was a small party with nice people. Drank more wine and had a good time chatting. There was almost a fire, pretty exciting. Slept quite well.

Day 9 - Amsterdam

2009-08-16T14:54:00.012-04:00

Amsterdam was quite nice. I walked around a lot, by myself. Took some pictures, some video. Found some really nice shops with clothes I wanted but could not have. I did purchase a pair of earrings. It was a few days ago, so this post is not quite informative. Oh well! It was great! Nice weather! Many tourists :( Went on a (docked) cat boat. Had a nice dinner, bought a plant. Walked by Anne Frank's old haunt. Then back to Haarlem and hung out with Marlise and another couchsurfer, Katrin, from Germany. We went to the sea at dusk, my first sea experience! Arrived home, chatted for a little while (ate stroopwafels) and then slept.

Day 8 - Haarlem

2009-08-12T17:41:00.009-04:00

The shower here is luxurious! I had a lovely dutch breakfast, soft bread with red currant jam (made by marlies, and from the berries grown by her mom) as well as a piece with delicious cheese. Yum! I set off for my day in Haarlem, starting at the VVV which is the tourist info spot. I received a map and some direction on where the second hand stores are located. I went to one and wanted to buy a lot, but left with only one tank top! I walked up and down so many streets and walked along the river. Saw many cute shops! There is a main square here with a huge beautiful church which rings the bells so nicely. I'm sure people get sick of it here but I'm a fan. This is a really nice city, comfortable yet busy. Arrived home and had another great dinner cooked by Marlise. Amazing fish and potatoes with cauliflower. We decided to relax tonight and after a chat we watched Sideways and ate stroopwafle (new fav) with green tea. Yum! Yum! Tomorrow I'll go to Amsterdam for the day.

Day 7 - Paris / Haarlem

2009-08-12T17:28:00.004-04:00

Woke up in Paris again. Was on the 6th floor, so I didn't leave until it was time to catch the train. Somewhere that afternoon my watch quit working! I still managed to catch the train. I realized my watch stopped when I though the train was pulling away early, so I checked my phone and voila the train was on time but my watch not so much. It worked out! Julie, who I stayed with, was so nice and picked up 2 croissants for me to eat which was amazing because I was more hungry than I thought. Train ride was really nice to Brussels but from there to Amsterdam it was really hot and sweaty. Luckily I had a window seat both times so I was comfortable. From Amsterdam I took another train to Haarlem which is really close! Marlise, who I am staying with, was at the station to pick me up. Very nice! She cooked a great dinner. Then we went on a bike ride and to have a drink outside and she suggested some places I should check out in Europe. We chatted and I met her boyfriend, Arjan, who is a commercial pilot. Her and her boyfriend are really nice people and their house is beautiful. I am their first couchsurfer.

Day 6 - Paris

2009-08-11T07:05:00.003-04:00

Woke up, took a stroll down Rue de la Roquette to Bastille. Took the subway down near a pretty touristy area. I was on a mission to check out Colette which was a pretty nice store. They had a 9000 Euro phone for sale, that's $12,758.40 in USD. Yeah! It was enjoyable to browse the store, I saw a neat neck adornment, not quite a necklace, not quite a scarf. Great books, music, clothes, dvds, cameras, phones, so many great things. Then I walked back and checked out a large garden/park with a small carnival. Then I walked around many streets on the way back to the apartment. Found some other stores with charm. Saw a Pylones, which I quite like. Many places were closed to, since it was a Monday. I met up with JC at the apartment to tidy it up and to pack my bags since I was staying at a new place. We went out for Lebanese food and ordered a selection of 7 items which came out in bowls. It was fun to mix certain items together. We took the subway to the new place and it is so close to the station I leave from! Really, it's a 1 minute walk! The new people (I stayed at their place this night,) JC, and myself went for a drink nearby. On they way we spotted a creepy face on a building! We had another PC vs Mac debate, which boils down to they are both good for different people depending on what you like. Then I slept!

Day 5 - Paris

2009-08-09T18:06:00.005-04:00

Used the Velib bikes to get to Le Buttes Chaumont which is a park with huge hills. Went to the top, took some pics. Beautiful park! Then to the Eurail station to validate my pass and make a reservation (boring.) Almost $30 Euro to reserve my seat! Yikes. I was going to leave Monday originally but since that train was full I'm in Paris an extra day. That's really not a problem with me! More walking and we checked out Montmarte and saw 3 guys doing a hip hop choreographed dance and break dancing.

They were good! One guy was the best, of course the smallest guy. Then more walking. Went to a restaurant for dinner, my first time doing that in Paris (trying to save money.) It was Indian food and it was delicious. I'm so full! Back at the apartment now and I'll be staying somewhere new tomorrow with someone I met at Cinema En Plein Air. Nice!

Day 4 - Paris

2009-08-09T17:47:00.004-04:00

This day I was worried about where I was going to be staying. Originally I was going to leave Paris Sunday and I had no response from the couch requests I sent out. I was searching for couches in Amsterdam, which apparently is rather difficult as they are too busy or away on vacation themselves. So I searched in a less popular city nearby and found one in Haarlem. That's right, two As. So I'm set there now and I'll arrive on Tuesday. JC has a friend who knew this girl and I went to hang out with her and her boyfriend at the place they were staying. I went alone too, very random but I quite like it that way. We had wine and cheese. Then met up with JC, who was previously watching soccer with his friends. Went to a house party met some cool people. Then we took the bus to see Afrika Bambaataa, which didn't work out because it was SO PACKED. So we went back to the house where the party was and listened to Afrika Bambaataa instead. We were there so late and by the time I was home and asleep the sun was up.

Day 3 - Paris

2009-08-09T17:27:00.007-04:00

This day was more about sleeping in and planning for DJing at Le Motel. I did go on a long walk to a print shop that was closed and I had my first real french croissant. DJing was fun! Free drinks all night and they payed us. I met some people that thought I was perhaps swiss. Why? I was wearing a swiss bag and watch. These people drew pepper mills in my notebook. JC played Fuck Buttons as the last song and that was a nice end. After Le Motel we went to another bar with the main Motel people and that was cozy. We saw the largest handicapped parking space ever.

Day 2 - Paris

2009-08-07T07:50:00.012-04:00

Woke up in Paris. Went on a walk, this time unguided. It was almost 90 degrees SO HOT. Left my memory card for camera at the apartment :( Yogurt and Evian for breakfast. mmmm! Met up with JC went to Cinema En Plein Air, which as you can imagine is an outdoor film screening. We watched Little Miss Sunshine which I have seen before, but it really is a good movie and this was a good way to watch it. We picniced with some friends of JC. Someone made tasty bread with goat cheese in it. Met some nice people that were able to communicate with me. On the way home saw a ballerino! Then we went took the bus and drank on it legally! Fun! We went to The Social Club. That was wild! Fun good dance music. My 3D glasses were a big hit. We were there until 5am. The bus ride home was amazing! That singing man was so great. Then there was a lady and she was mean. She spit on the bus driver! He got off the bus but she was long gone at that point. Heated!!!

Day 1 - Paris

2009-08-07T07:38:00.008-04:00

arrived at airport and everyone was speaking french and italian. alright. took the subway and saw this amazing bunny.

walked around with jc as my tour guide and saw stuff like notre dame and some ancient ruin building. saw a lot of graffiti vans but didn't take a picture of that yet. i saw at least 30! they are everywhere. motor bikes are also everywhere, the tacky kind. they all drive these! couple vespas, but so many of these ugly bikes. they aren't the weird colored kind, mostly black. still! come on paris! ew! haven't really seen great outfits, it's very rare. there was a huge outdoor free concert, caught a pretty good band. walked more. saw the fun street art tiles.

checked out le motel where i'm djing friday, nice place. had a good drink with fruit, mint, vodka. refreshing! the bar area is set up quite well, in a circle but small. then i slept.

Memorable quotes from True Stories (1986)

2009-04-07T21:10:00.001-04:00

Narrator: What time is it? No time to look back.

Miss Rollings: It's like how hot dogs come in packs of 10, and buns come in packs of eight or 12 - you have to buy nine packs to make it come out even.

Narrator: I really enjoy forgetting. When I first come to a place, I notice all the little details. I notice the way the sky looks. The color of white paper. The way people walk. Doorknobs. Everything. Then I get used to the place and I don't notice those things anymore. So only by forgetting can I see the place again as it really is.

Narrator: I have something to say about the difference between American and European cities. But I've forgotten what it is. I have it written down at home somewhere.

Narrator: This isn't a rental car - it's privately owned.

Louis Fyne: I'm 6'3", and maintain a very consistent panda bear shape.

Narrator: You know, things that never had names before are now easily described. Makes conversation easier.

Narrator: Look at this. Who can say it isn't beautiful? Sky, bricks. Who do you think lives there? Four-car garage. Hope, fear, excitement, satisfaction.

lion king

2009-03-16T10:41:00.000-04:00

is it

2009-02-05T11:29:00.001-05:00

sneezy to use
sneezy to have

dan deacon's bromst

2009-01-22T08:49:00.004-05:00

due out march 24, 2009

Bromst Track Listing
01. Build Voice
02. Red F
03. Paddling Ghost
04. Snookered
05. Of the Mountains
06. Surprise Stefani
07. Wet Wings
08. Woof Woof
09. Slow With Horns / Run for Your Life
10. Baltihorse
11. Get Older

amelia bauer

2009-01-22T08:44:00.002-05:00