Holiday plans

Slowly, they’re coming together. I spent more than two hours in Trailfinders yesterday, nailing down the flights, and I think that’s going to help me figure out exactly what I am doing. So, what am I doing?

Well, the route is as follows: Sydney to Tokyo; Tokyo to Hanoi; Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh; Ho Chi Minh to Hong Kong; Hong Kong to London; a European tour taking in Paris, Berlin, Oslo and possibly Prague; London to New York; New York to San Francisco; San Francisco back to Sydney.

Yep, it’s a lot, but I have about nine weeks to fit it all in, and that is the next part of the planning. Basically, I want long spells in Vietnam and Europe, so Tokyo and the states are kind of short-term bookends to the whole thing, which should be fun. I might go to Osaka and Los Angeles, too, to catch up with some people, but we’ll see how we go. The scariest thing is the cost. But I have another two pay-days before I leave - in mid-June - so hopefully I’ll be sweet.

I’m obviously going to take the camera with me, so stay tuned to my Flickr, because I’ll be dumping a ton of stuff into it at some point, and I’m imaging some dramatic shooting along the way, which is great. Probably when I get to Europe and spend some time at home with my beautiful mum, sister and dad, I’ll get time to download. That will likely be sometime in July. When I know more, I’ll post it, but in short, now I have the flights booked, I’m seriously excited. Now, the fun part - where the hell am I gonna go on the ground, and where am I gonna stay? H-E-L-P!!!

But it’s fun …

More Wiki work

The good folk at Wikipedia have used another one of my pics, this time on their profile page for the lovely Carmen Electra. So with her, and Anna Nicole Smith, which was hit millions of times as a result - my photography skills are hopefully getting some sort of exposure.

I’ve also had some still life published on NEWS.com.au’s beauty pages, some products that were reviewed by fashion and beauty editor, and best friend, Lisa Bjorksten. Thanks Lis … champion. So, all up, the portfolio is looking good. Bring on the career change

Love …

I’ve been thinking about love lately, so I decided to write about it. Here’s what I came up with, posted originally on my MOG.

I decided the other day that music, or songs, are like relationships – only better. Now, naturally, many relationships don’t have happy endings, but I have found more and more as I get older, I am about songs as I used to be about pretty girls i meet and get to know – hang on … what am I talking about “used to be” – yeh righto, Tobes!!

Anyway, when I hear a song I’m interested in immediately – a rare yet always beautiful occurrance, just like pretty girls in my life – I’ll listen to it again … and again … and again … and so it goes on. I put it on repeat, look-up the lyrics, sing along, try to understand its every breath, eventually getting to a point where I can’t get through the day without some sort of contact with it. I’ll blast it at work, then leave it alone when its the last thing I want to do, I get excited about when I am going to get home and gorge myself on it again. I listen to it on my iPod walking home, smiling. Eventually, I am completely in love, and simply cannot go a minute without it. I listen again, take in every note and phrase, then I listen again, and marvel one more at its wondrous being. Do you see what I am getting at?

There comes a point where you have to let go a little, and allow other songs into your life again, and not get so obsessed that you alienate old songs you love, or drive them away and behave like you don’t need them to be happy. You always need a lot of songs to be happy. You still over-indulge in your latest song, but less intensely. You realise that no matter what, the song will always be there for you, and you will never grow sick of it if you love it truly. And there you have it – your relationship is sealed in beautiful harmony … and then the next song comes along, and the process repeats.

But the best things about songs is that they’re not monogomous beings. They can co-exist without argument. You can have a quiet night with one song, a wild one with another, and neither will get upset or sound out of character. Both will always give you what you need, and often so much more. It’s an awesome thing.

One of my dearest friends painted a similar story to me the other night during a blissful conversation about lost love and so many other things. It was the best chat I have had in ages. She said you can judge the intensity of a relationship by the phone calls made around it. I’ll say no more in respect of her privacy, but you can all use your imaginations – I know they are all as wild as mine.

Anyway, I digress – this post is about songs and music, arguably man’s single greatest achievement.

… and love.

Nine Inch Nails

So the fourth track off Nine Nich Nails’ forthcoming album Year Zero is out there. It could be my new favourite. It’s called In This Twilight. Thoughts? I like it, especially the chorus and the outro.

Maaaan - I am hanging to see these guys in Oz. Only a coupla months to go … bring it on.

They’ve been revealing tracks periodically from the album to download, and there has been some fascinating marketing techniques associated with this record. Wikipedia has posted much of it. Check it out. Some of it is quite spooky.

Presents

So my good friend Grant and his equally lovely wife Ang bought me a present for photographing their amazing wedding - why, I don’t know, because it was an absolute privilege to be involved in the ceremony. The present was a gift voucher for JB HiFi - oh yeh!! So, I thought I’d let you all know what I spent it on.

Since it was raining yesterday, and all my plans to go to the beach for the first time in about all the time I have lived in Sydney were scuppered, I headed into town to JB and got spending. I bought the following:

Emilian Torrini - Fisherman’s Woman: The female singer from Iceland you possibly don’t know, Emiliana’s music has a beautiful chilled folk mood with a twist, and her voice is seriously cute. She sings with a slight accent, which adds to the record’s charm. The highlight is Sunnyroad, which was a single off this album. Very cool for cold nights in front of the fire with your dearest - where’s mine :(?.

Bloc Party - A Weekend In Thc City: Hey, it’s Bloc Party, so what can I say? Grant wasn’t sure about this one when he bought it, he told me, but I’m pretty into it after a couple of listens. My early favourite is Waiting For The 7:18. It’s got a great hook in its chorus, and a super little drum part throughout, which will always win me over.

Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral: An oldie (1994), but a goodie, and I am long overdue owning this record. I know it pretty well already, and love every track, which is often the case when I listen to NiN. Trent Reznor has not failed me yet. It’s also a DualDisc, which means it has a DVD on it, too. Double-sided CDs are cool.

Speaking of NiN, I’ve been checking out some leaked tracks from the new album Year Zero, which isn’t out until April, I believe. Check them out here. There are four out of 16 already there to download free for your own listening, and more to come. The dude that put this site together - who, incidentally, is slightly scary, keeps revealing more on a weekly basis, I think. In This Twilight is the latest, and perhaps my favourite so far, although Me, I’m Not is a real sticky number, too. All very cool … and I’m going to see them in May, and that cannot come soon enough. I’m so freakin’ excited. My buddy Marcus bought the band’s new DVD today, Beside You In Time, which we’re going to enjoy on his projector sometime later this week. I’ll let you know how much it blows us away, if I can speak after seeing it. The preview left me fairly breathless.

Oh, I also bought a cover for my 60Gb iPod, which was also long overdue.

So thanks Grant and Ang, for your generosity and kindness. Your gift was absolutely wonderful, and inexpected, and I am very grateful to you both. Thank you, thank you, thank you x

Dick II

Is this karma? Dick left today, but had mechanical problems on his plane. While I wouldn’t wish anyone harm - no, not even Dick - I did display a wry smile when I heard this news. It was quickly wiped, though, when I heard we could expect more choppers and gridlock when the APEC summit arrives in Sydney in September. Hopefully I’ll be in France watching the Rugby World Cup during that month, so it won’t bother me.

Bye Dick.

Dick

So Dick Cheney, one of the world’s most evil men alive, is in Sydney currently and I have a problem with that. It’s not because his presence makes me feel sick, nor that he has already caused a peaceful demonstration in the centre of town - to bring terror suspect David Hicks home - to turn violent, but simply this - police and military choppers keep circling around my apartment and I can’t get any frikkin’ sleep!!!

Last night, two Black Hawks did circuits of the city, via my place at Kings Cross, and at such low altitude they actually created a bit of a hurricane through the streets. There I was with my flatmate, trying to watch House, and we had to turn the TV up to plus 300 to hear the damn thing. Then I go to bed, and all I can hear is rotor blades whizzing past my window. Arrgghhh!!!

Tonight it’s much the same. Dick, please leave … and can you take John Howard with you.

There - gripe over.

Good Vibes, bad Beasties

MCA with Beastie Boys

Originally uploaded by Foraggio.
Well, sadly for the second straight time, I saw Beastie Boys at a fesitval, and Beastie Boys sucked. I’m not sure what it is, but they just can’t cut it live for me anymore. They sound bad, they act bad and, most of all, they just seem to think they can turn up and everyone will love them. Admittedly, a few thousand did at Good Vibrations in Sydney, but I wasn’t one of them, and neither were many of my friends. Ah well …

I was chiefly at the fesitval to take photographs, which you can see here at my Flickr page. Of course, that made the day fun, although it was damn hot. My highlights included Snoop Dogg, Rahzel, Sneaky Sound System, Jurassic 5, Koolism and, erm, oh, everything was cool, except those damn Beasties.

Come on, guys. Sharpen up, or give up

Snoop – keep doin’ it …

Wikipedia loves me

I was very happy this morning when I heard a picture of mine had been used to illustrate the death of Anna Nicole Smith on Wikinews. They sent me an email to say they’d used it, given me a credit, and if I had any problems, to let them know. Naturally, all I said was “thanks”, and how freakin’ cool. The pic, incidentally, received about 400-odd hits through the first half of today.

On ths story itself, how shocking that Anna Nicole is dead. She’s not someone I ever really gave a shit about, to be honest, but 39 is too young for anyone to die. She was a tragic figure in life, and in that sense, her death is perhaps fitting. I was comparing it to Marilyn Monroe’s demise. She started out as a megababe that was almost unbelievable to the eye, found fame at breakneck speed, lost it a bit, took too many drugs, had wild fluctuations in weight, nuked all her brain cells and, ultimately, died prematurely.

Mystery surrounds the death of both ladies, and perhaps always will. I guess on the bright side, Alphaville sang so well, both will be Forever Young.

World’s funniest laugh

Oh man, this is funny. Thanks to my best buddy, Eirik, for sharing and making me cry with laughter. How could I not blog this?