Honestly, I'd never really understood that until this week. I always thought it was just some arbitrary idealistic term for something needed in a song. However, it's rather true... too much makes you high and not enough makes you die. I know, a bit melodramatic, but this week I've experienced both.
As you may have noticed, the city on my profile is different, so yes, I made it to Medellin ok. It was unfortunate, as I showed up to the airport on the 12th, only to be told that my flight had been canceled because Atlanta was under snow. So, instead of opting to send me to somewhere like LAX (Los Angeles) or Miami, they instead want to send me to JFK (New York)... the NEXT day. So, irritated and pissed off, I begrudgingly accept. Only to show up, get past security and then at the gate... and be told that THAT flight had been canceled and that they were then instead, sending me to Atlanta. Yea... I'll give a second for that to sink in. Ready? Anyhow, I get to Atlanta then on to Bogota.
My last American sunset:
Bogota... where I have to stay at the airport overnight.
I can assure you, there are few things than being in front of the door and getting a burst of cold wind every time it opens... all night. So after having zero sleep for about 36 hours, and worn down from carrying so much, I finally made it to Medellin. It was great showing up at the airport, then getting out of the cab, Medellin has a rather distinct smell... like smog and jungle, if that makes any sense. In any case, I love it.
What it looks like when I move:
Hard to believe that about 95% of my actual belongings are in this photo. Something that sucks... is that they went through my one bag... where I had a picture frame of something VERY important to me, but I'd packed it so that nothing would happen to it. I get it, their job isn't to make sure that it's packed the same way again... but yea, wrapping said frame in a pair of Christian Dior tuxedo pants and jamming it into the side of the bag was a DICK move. First of all, the frame was utterly shattered. Secondly, pouring glass shards out of tuxedo pants... Pretty sure you can see where that's going. That pants have cuts all over them. On a positive note... I'm pretty surprised that nobody hassled me about carrying my guitar case onto the plane. That's a first...
Many people have asked me why I left... "Why are you moving there?" The gist of it is, that I looked around and I wasn't happy. Not in that how I'm never happy about anything kind of way... but in the more existential sense. My living situation was dire, I had nothing on the horizon... I just felt as though I was wasting away. So, I needed a new start. Besides, Medellin was the last place I remember feeling anything like great happiness, even if only for a few moments. I also made a promise to someone I loved very much... but then, that promise was fulfilled when I stepped off of the plane.
It was kind of interesting... Valentine's Day was actually pretty cool... until it wasn't. Then it was pretty cool again. Must have been the full moon:
What happened exactly? A gentleman never tells... so here it is:
Ten things I'd learned in the last week or so:
1. For a show about pirates... the characters on Black Sails spend a disturbingly amount of time on land.
2. If you ever want a fun laugh, watch the movie Cruel Intentions in Spanish. Especially the "Why is it when I tell guys they can put it anywhere, they go for my ass?" line... en Espanol, it really adds some interesting depth to that scene.
3. Something else rather funny is that my shower just comes out, kind of like from a faucet, not a spray... so it's somewhat cheeky to me that I can tell the balance of my water (hot/cold) by what tile it's hitting.
4. Few things are as profoundly annoying or as big a slap in the face, as spending the day with someone that seems incapable of putting their phone down. It doesn't matter if that person is a friend, lover or just a business acquaintance, it's disrespectful and rude as shit.
5. Speaking of phones... it's a fucking shackle people! Being without one is one of the most liberating experiences. All it is, is a means to chain you to shit that you don't want to be chained to in the first place, namely a desk. Time was, that if you were out to dinner when work called, tough shit, leave a message on the answering machine. Now, it's all "Oh shit, work's calling me, I have to take this" and then you end up having to go in... and it's ALWAYS for some stupid shit that could've waited until the morning.
6. People are always interesting when a life change occurs in another. I can't tell you how many times this week, that I've had people that hadn't responded to my last message, then they get pissed at ME because it's been X amount of days since talking. How the fuck is that MY fault? I usually wait until someone responds to what I'd sent... I'm not in the business of pestering people, so I figure that they'll respond when they have the chance. Sue me. The worst are the people that are pissed about me not talking to them, but then use all the time we have talking... to bitch about me not talking to them.
7. Washing dishes in cold water fucking blows. Thank goodness for housekeepers.
8. A good way to avoid mosquitoes in your bedroom, is to burn incense.
9. Empanadas, while fucking delicious, may not be for every day consumption...
10. This place is more than likely ALWAYS going to surprise me. for instance, I'm at a place called Zorba with my friend who's friends with the owner and THIS comes on the music there:
and a few other songs... but they escape me at the time.
Moving along...
Having mentioned the show Black Sails, apparently John Silver himself Luke Arnold is actually playing Michael Hutchence in a miniseries this year.
This actually a bit bittersweet for me, as I'm glad that something is being made on the subject, but (confession) when I was an actor some years ago, this was actually one on a list of my dream roles. To kind of do a movie like The Doors, but about Michael Hutchence with me playing him. Along with playing the Marvel Comics character Moon Knight.
But alas... since Disney bought Marvel, I doubt a Moon Knight movie will ever see the light of day, being as though to make it anywhere near effective, it would have to be Rated R... and we ALL know that's not Disney's forte... so that one's down the tubes.
On a brighter side of the "dream" front, I was talking to a friend about the book I'd been writing and 76 pages into, telling them a brief synopsis, they REALLY liked it and told me that once I can finish it, they'll help me get it published. Working in advertising, I'm sure that they know someone... but still, that's kind of given me a push to finally finish it. Fuck, it's been what, two years? My problem is that despite having a handwritten 31 page outline< I know exactly what's going to happen, all the way to the end... but when it comes to just typing it out, it's absolute murder on my soul and I get stuck. I've actually banged out a page since two days ago. I was hoping that if I could actually finish it, I'll be able to avoid this whole pesky "Need to get a job" bullshit. As I had mentioned before, it's not that I don't want to "work" I just don't want to work for someone else's dream. If I'm going to put in the time and energy, it's to propel my own.
Ok ok, I know, this one isn't my usual photo heavy entry, but I haven't taken that many photos since being here. So, here's silly friends doing silly things:
I could have sworn I had a photo or two of my roommate from Sweden... but alas, I don't think I do.
Here's a photo that I'd come across and found to be quite amusing:
Anyhow, in closing... in the spirit of Valentine's Day, my final statement is this: You should want to die for love... but love shouldn't kill you.