015. Gold

I'd been meaning to watch 'Once' for ages - just got round to it today. Jeebieez hejeebiez, it was great! I wasn't completely new to the film, having known Glen Hansard (The Frames) and his music for a long time. It's essentially an indie small budget film, so no high quality, polished look to shout about. It's a movie that doesn't try to hit you with an amazingly creative story, or super cast - basically I don't think it was meant to impress at all. But that's why it's so good!

The story is told over a week, set in Dublin. A street busker and a young Czech immigrant meet and click through a common love for music. There is no cliched happy ending. No kissing, romantic movie cliches. Although there's a really subtle romantic undercurrent, nothing ever shouts. It's just a short and bittersweet movie - on that rare moment when your life crosses path with someone else, for however a short a time, and you're both left with the imprint after.


The music played out really well with the story. It sometimes felt a bit odd that they were musicians making a film about being musicians - but they did win the Oscar for best original song, after all. The whole thing has this 'Dear Frankie' vibe to it. Same style, same sadness, even same unnammed characters - Gerald Butler's 'Stranger' vs. 'Guy' and 'Girl'. But it's lovely in the same way too, especially if you're into indie/acoustic/irish music ala Glen Hansard and his musical twin Damien Rice because that's what the whole movie thrives on. Yay for me.

014. First day of the rest of your life

You have to go out and get what you want. Success doesn't throw itself down for the picking. It's the same in any field, really - but music - it takes a whole lot of confidence, risk taking, and smarts to climb the ladder. I've seen too many, too many people who have to end up teaching 7 days a week to make ends meet. That's not life. At least not the life I want. The people who get to the top, are not the best out there. But the ones who know how to work the system. How to get around the politics. To navigate situations for their advantage. And who aren't afraid to step over others when they need to.

I tried to be nice, I tried to be honest. It didn't get me anywhere, really. I was allowing myself to be stepped over. I turned down invitations to performances, orchestras - all because I wanted to get in on my own merit, I wanted get in because I was good, not because I knew people who could guarantee me a place. I don't want to be labeled, I don't want to owe anyone anything.

Still, being virtuous gets you nowhere nowadays. So what if you flatter and suck up, just to get your way sometimes? So what if you accept a favour from a friend? That's the way to world runs all the time anyway. I'm sick of just sitting back and waiting for things to happen. I'm going to make them happen for me.

013. Cook.. Cookie

One of the best things I've seen all day.
I stopped watching Idol for the longest time - until David Cook got me hooked.
He's brilliant. Just so amazingly brilliant.


I wonder what they see in that other kid.
Seriously?
He's not even half way there.

I can't wait for the finals.

012. Cows and fields

Clickety click: A softer world

011. Clementine

Some people call it insanity.

I call it really living life.

I want to feel free. Not just happy, or on an emotional high.

But the kind of crazy rush you get from teetering on the edge. From jumping in without a care for effect or consequence.

I love that word. Freedom.

:-)

010. And it speaks!

If he was some cripple with down sydrome that plays the erhu by the side of jalan tun sambanthan everyday to beg for money it is different la!!! ~Lali

009. Can't you see that all that stuff's a sideshow?

Excuse me, too busy you're writing your tragedy
These mishaps
Your bubble wrap
When you've no idea what you're like

I suppose my grand scheme to run and hide away from the rest of the world has fallen apart. The harder we try to hold on, the faster we're bound to loose. And I didn't want to be around waiting for that to happen so I left. I was being driven round and round. Loosing it, loosing who I was. I couldn't see straight, my head wasn't screwed on right. I was frustrated. At myself, at everyone.

Yesterday ended my little self inflicted isolation - At least I had kept it up, record time. Not that anything ground breaking happened, though. I just went in again with better sense. Things were good. And I was being honest, for the first time in a long time.

My friends aren't perfect. And I'm far from perfect. But in all honesty, despite the incredulous, mixed up beings we are - I couldn't ask for more.

Yesterday was good. It bloody was.

Theres a science fiction in the space between
You and me
A fabrication of a grand scheme
Where I am the scary monster
I eat the city and as I leave the scene
In my spaceship I am laughing
In your remembrance of your bad dream
Theres no one but you standing