Darlin' don't you go & cut your hair

One of the magic things about music, in my opinion, is when you really like or love a song without even knowing what it's about. You just dig, & it gives you THAT special feeling, etc. Then, after days weeks months or even longer, you read the lyrics & find they're totally relevant to you & your life, in general or during the current moment.

"Torra fy Ngwallt yn hir" by the Super Furries & "Dyle Fi" by Gorky's are in Welsh, so I had no way of knowing what they're about. But tonight I learnt "Torra fy Ngwallt yn hir" means "Cut my hair long" & found this very amusing bc I'm always telling boys not to cut their hair UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.

Seriously. I have never seen a successful haircut on a boy before. EVER. It always looks bad. Perhaps I'm a little biased considering my weakness for long-haired dudes, but oh well.

Last night my cousin Feco said he needed to cut his hair bc it was getting too long & I was like "NO". Then I dreamt my friend Martin had trimmed his. I just told him & he said that in real life, he'd come close to doing it this afternoon. OoOOoO.

♪ Darlin' don't you go & cut your hair... ♪
- "Cut your hair", Pavement

I also dreamt I was in Berlin having a drink w/ Frau Viktor Dragon (my friend Cali's sister, who is living in BLN) & Jarvis Cocker. Later on the S-Bahn with my kitty while it snowed outside. There were also hearses, fire, tigers & more.

Synapse to synapse (How my mind works, Green & umbrellas)

Sometimes I think my mind (perception?) works like the Internet, maybe. Is it the same for everyone? I don’t remember it always being like this. It jumps from one idea to the next, often I can barely keep up. From one related concept to another. Like… stream of consciousness, free association or I dunno what. The ideas just branch out infinitely, like that Chemical Brothers video, you know, “Let Forever Be”? @ some point this became my reality. I just almost always associate things, involuntarily & immediately. Usually words, lyrics, images, things I’ve heard/read. Stuff ppl have said (well-known ppl or just ppl III know). My memory’s good, which helps.



The other day I went to this place ppl call Plaza Borges with my friend Martin. It was really green. So right away I thought
- “Green”, the Dandy Warhols
- “Green machine”, Apples in Stereo
- “For Reverend Green”, Animal Collective
- "A certain shade of green", Incubus etc etc etc...

Green is my friend Sofi’s fav color, I remembered. & in 1st year of Uni, we had to make a collage describing ourselves. She had cut out the words MUNDO VERDE (green world) & put them near the center of hers. I’m pretty sure there were also jungle leaves & a photo of Charly Garcia (maybe el Flaco Spinetta too?) but I could be wrong about that. Nyssa liked green too, but yellow better.

Green was my House @ school. See, @ my school here (a private, Catholic, all-girls) in Buenos Aires, the English department divided students into Houses, like I guess the private schools do in England. In Harry Potter, Hogwarts has got Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw & Hufflepuff. We had the Green, Blue, Red & Yellow Houses. Each had a patron saint. Blue: St Thomas More, Green: St Bede (who the hell?). Don't remember the others.

I enjoyed being in Green House as I always favored the color, still do in fact. My most comfortable pair of Chuck Taylors are green, FYI. I’ll think of my House mates such as Lucy A & Ceci D, both of whom I still really care about. Blue was pretty nerdy, IMO. I think the best grades ("top marks") usually went to Blue or Green. Cali was in Yellow. No offense but as far as I remember, Yellow tended to be fairly mediocre…am I wrong?

All this came up bc today the internet said Paco was listening to “Son of Mr Green Genes” by Frank Zappa. The next track was “Little Umbrellas”. Right away this orchestral-sounding line played in my head

♫ Just when I thought that my vista was golden in hue

one thousand umbrellas opened to spoil the view ♫

It's from one of my fav songs off Skylarking by XTC, recommended by Romo in 2006. The others are “Ballet for a rainy day” (which reminds me of ppl who paint -Pool, Consu L, Daniel Dubois, Kata, etc- bc it has this line: I push my paintbrush to conjure a new world as this one is slowly washed away) & “The man who sailed around his soul”.

See what I mean? But there was also

- “Preparen sus paraguas”, Fantasmagoria from the Clearence EP, which possibly my VERY fav song by them (”La Laguna”) is off
- “Under my umbrella”, Incubus...BEFORE Rhianna's! One of the last tracks from the album “Morning view”, the last album of theirs I really loved.
- Well of course the Rhianna song, although I h8 it. EHH EHHH…NO THX. Not even after the Manic Street Preachers covered it. I do recall NRS had the chorus line as her MSN name though. Only I remember these things, right?

So, it’s mostly got to do with music. But not exclusively. I also thought of how Jime P (schoolmate) had an umbrella with Tweety Bird (Looney Tunes) wearing a raincoat on the handle. "Mary Poppins", "Singin in the rain" (one of my fav movies), Gene Kelly "walking down the lane with a happy refrain", the girl from the salt I grew up eating in the States...



...how Laurita forgot her umbrella the night of that party on Altolaguirre (what a night that was...in my life, anyways), how I forgot my umbrella @ Lucinda's bday last year, the same night I met someone who didn't know who "Rock the casbah" was by (I couldn't believe it either).

If I hear something about the subway I’ll think things like “Subterranean homesick alien” by Radiohead or “Subterranean homesick blues” by Bob Dylan. When riding the Deutschebahn across Germany I thought “Train in vain” by The Clash & “Strangers on a train” by Lovage, although I knew there was a film of the same title. I haven’t seen, although Tute mentioned it when we talked a lot. I did seen “Stranger than Paradise”, the Jim Jarmusch movie, though. Richie had recommended that one. Esteban really likes Jim Jarmusch. & I saw a photo of Sol S with him (JJ) once. & so on…& so on…& so on.

Are you taking over or are you taking orders? (La casa tomada, In The Jungle, Rivoteen dreams, etc)

"House Taken Over" (Casa tomada) is a 1944 short story by Argentine writer Julio Cortázar. It was originally published in Los anales de Buenos Aires, a literary magazine edited by Jorge Luis Borges, but later added to his book Bestiario.

It tells the story of an aging brother and sister living together in their ancestral home which is being "taken over" by unknown entities. It starts in a realist manner and it slowly introduces a scene in which natural laws are distorted. The mystery that revolves around what those entities can be interpreted in several ways, and this also makes the genre of the story vary (fantastic, psychological, etc.).

Among the resources that are frequent in Cortázar's story, graphic signs (such as parenthesis) are used to reflect censorship.

The writer based the house on one located in the city of Chivilcoy, which can still be found in the streets Suipacha and Necochea. Source

- “Please leave”, “Leaving home”, & “Military strongmen”, Jebediah (When you're around, you just get me down, I'm better off without you)
- “Get off of my cloud”, Rolling Stones
- “Get gone”, Fiona Apple
- “In every dreamhome a heartache”, Roxy Music (Unrelated, but I've always dug the line Inflatable doll, I blew up your body...but you blew my MIND & the way Bryan Ferry sings it)
- “There’s no home for you here”, White Stripes
- “At home he’s a tourist”, Gang of Four (Richeeeh ♥ liked this one)
- "You Can't Move Into My House", Frenzal Rhomb (Get fucked you fucking fuckwit, you can't move into my house…they rly don’t beat around the bush, do they?)

Richey, for one, saysss...

On Tuesday “In the Jungle” by The Vines came on my iPod when Shuffle was on. Loves it. I always forget about The Vines. Made me wanna read up on the band & what became of them after “Highly evolved”. Last I heard, Craig Nicholls had been hospitalized for…what was it? Asperger’s & Tourettes? Maybe. I don’t know much about the Vines apart from the fact that Craig liked McDonalds, getting high, & that his cheeks were possibly chubbier than mine : P

Last night I dreamt that RR was taking Rivotril (Clonazepam), the most popular legal drug in Argentina. I read someone on FB who had coined the term Rivoteen. I dig portmanteau words. Anyways I was really surprised he would admit this, since he’s so rock & roll. Or…something. I think NG was there @ the time. & a bunch of those ppl. In the dream there was also a lady chasing me trying 2 cut my hair (NO, BITCH!) & a special Satsang @ someone’s house, faaar far away (Belu, possibly?) But some ex classm8s of mine from Uni were there, such as Chufi, Angie, Lucia. So was Martin LBT. I was like “Hey Martin & Chufi, you probably know each other from Pacha, LOLZ”. I took a photo of the three girls. Some new YES+ teachers were there as well: Lu Peña, Facu, Mechi. & there was cake. I woke up like WHEREZ THA CAKE?! Typical.

Rollercoasters, life philosophies & the elephant in the room

This past week has been a RoLLeRcOasTeR, not unlike the one James & Richey Manic are riding in this photo. @ times like these, I try to remember that whatever happens is meant to happen. I really like what Dvorahji (aka “The Shut Up Guru”. She's called that bc she claims SHUT UP is "an ancient mantra for complete happiness" :) has to say on the matter. Some excerpts from the Q&A on her website.

Q: How come I'm always in the wrong place at the wrong time?
A: The only thing that's in the wrong place at the wrong time is your thinking. It's impossible to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I know you've heard all this nonsense about sabotaging yourself, not listening to yourself, not being intuitive enough etc., and yada, yada, yada...but it's ridiculous. I want you to know that What Is does not make mistakes. There are no slip-ups.
You are exactly where you could “ONLY BE.” So, please do not drive yourself crazy with this lament, “If only I wouldn't have been there, if only I wouldn't have done that.” Drop it!!! It could not have been different. Time to learn a different mantra and say, “If it could be different, it would be different!”

Q: I have no discipline, how will I ever get anywhere?
A: Have you ever heard the expression, “You are not the doer?” I actually think it's an unfortunate expression, because it's so confusing. It really doesn't make any sense at all. You do, after all, “appear” to be the doer, even though all the scriptures and saints say otherwise. Why even the Buddha said, “Events happen, deeds are done, but there is no individual doer thereof.”
Now, that's all very nice, but honestly it means nothing to most people, it's just a thought, another so-called “meaningful saying” to get hung up on. Why confuse yourself with all these theories? Just assume you're doing it all. However, know deeply with pure conviction that “if it could be different, it would be different!” And in fact, there is NOTHING you could have done about it! Period.
Now this thought, although like all the other thoughts floating around in your mind, will give you peace. Because now you are free to stop lamenting what you can't do, or didn't do, and start living in what's happening now. Now you have a chance at discipline and enjoying it while it lasts.

Q: How can things be “only as they can be?” What happened to free will?
A: Ahh, the “free will” question. You want to exercise your free will, so you can do what? Eat pizza, instead of eggs? Or perhaps marry Jane, instead of Gertrude? This free will is very important to you, isn't it? It's that one big thing that sets you apart from the ants and turkeys and gives you your identity. You certainly don't want to be identified with a turkey.
Well, darlings, good news again – although it appears that you have free will, and you desperately want to be smart and wise enough to have free will, and you've convinced yourself with all your intellectual and spiritual knowledge that you have free will – you absolutely don't even have a smidgen of it!!!
You only “appear to be a big shaker and maker,” but in truth, it's shakin' and bakin' you. It can only be, as it is, in spite of all your so-called decisions and choices. But again, even though you may know with absolute conviction that you don't have free will, it's still smart to function as if you do. Otherwise, it's just too confusing and really doesn't make sense, because the appearance of free will and making choices is so strong.
So relax. What does it matter who has free will, as long as you accept your “apparent” choices and know with deep peace that, “If it could have been different, it would have been different.” Now you can go have fun, without constantly regretting your choices and boggling your mind with the concept of free will.

Q: According to many well-­known New Age thinkers and healers, you're not in control of the events that happen to your life, but you're in control of how you deal with those events. That suggests a degree of control and free will. Could you comment on that?
A: Honestly, I don't know what they're talking about. It's sounds like goobly­-goop to me, another theory to peddle to people so they can feel safe and in control. THAT which structured the events, also structured how you dealt with those events. You'll notice that when unexpected things happen to you, regardless of your spiritual or psychological training, you'll deal with things differently each time. Sometimes you handle things well and sometimes you don't. Either way, relax with the results of your attitude or actions. It is what it is. The events couldn't be different and your thinking and reactions couldn't be different. So forget all this third-rate psychological mind manipulation to feel safe and in control. In reality, you're already safe and the Big Kahuna is in control.

Q: I used to be so creative. I'm so dull now. What's happening?
A: Nothing. As usual. It's just a change, a simple second frame of the movie. Stop getting so hung up on every little change that takes place and blame yourself or something else for that change. It's the nature of life to change.
Sometimes you're creative and extraordinary, and sometimes you're not. Get used to the idea that everything is in flux and is always changing – even you. Tomorrow perhaps you'll be creative again. You don't have to run in desperation to the next seminar or healer on creativity. Relax. Everything comes full circle and happens in its own good time. Go to the beach, play with your children, watch “I Love Lucy”– but please, stop this constant yearning for the past. Be at peace with what's happening now.

- - - - -

SoOoO comforting, I find. By the way, Dvorah is pals with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar aka Guruji. The dude who founded the organization behind those courses I’ve been taking. I did one last week & it was awesome, I had some really gr8 days.

A couple of years ago I had a dream of a roller coaster for fairies that had tulle & ribbons. However the other night I dreamt about a girl having a scorpion in her mouth. Possibly an allegory for what things have been like THIS week -__-

I hadn’t been remembering my dreams much lately until the past couple of days, although the other stuff I dreamt was pretty normal: Melik being the drummer in an all-girl band. Partying on a weeknight w/ Silvana @ a hotel Bauen-esque place & planning to get drinks that had eggnog & vodka - Ew…I’ve never had eggnog, but it seems ew. Plus vodka? Double ew. Chatting w/ Jeremy who was back in California. Planning what 2 wear 2 a meeting w/ Martin LBT, trying on different outfits. Seeing Ernestina Pais @ the supermarket.

Expression of the moment: "Elephant in the room" is an English idiom for an obvious truth that is being ignored or goes unaddressed. The idiomatic expression also applies to an obvious problem no one wants to discuss. It is based on the idea that an elephant in a room would be impossible to overlook; thus, people in the room who pretend the elephant is not there might be concerning themselves with relatively small and even irrelevant matters, compared to the looming big one. Source

Strange fruit (II)

A couple of more fruits

COCONUTS
Songs: “Coconut”, Fever ray; “Koko”, Ween; “Nickee Coco & the Invisible tree”, Of Montreal; “I’m a cuckoo”, Belle & Sebastian
Albums: “I should coco”, Supergrass;
Band: Coco Rosie, although I DO NOT LIKE THEM @ all
Random: I go coo-coo for cocoa pops
People: Coco - Brett’s girlfriend from Flight Of The Conchords. Although I think I prefer Jemaine over Brett. GLASSES R SEXY. I still have 2 watch the 2nd season

Ok, I’m aware mosta these are “coco” not coconut, but “coco” is the word in Spanish. & Cuckoo is not coco but…oh well, it sounds similar : P



KIWIS
Songs: “Kiwi”, Maroon 5; “Kiwi maddog 20 20”, Elliot Smith
Random: Richey Edwards had the theory that kiwis could cure a hangover. This is the only related quote I have.

“…the much-documented Garden festival in Belgium in 1994, when Richey fell asleep on James’ foot during Life Becoming A Landslide. We did a gig in the afternoon & another at night, so Richey had to peak twice, drinking-wise. He had a theory that if he had a kiwi fruit & half a bottle of whisky, everything would be alright. He was asleep for a good 5-6 minutes” - Nicky Wire

Fell asleep onstage...on James' foot?! Passed out seems more likely!
I haven’t tried this "home remedy" but ppl who have say IT DON’T WORK : P
Y AM I NOT SURPRIZED. Kiwis curing hangover. 4 someone as smart as Richey that's a kinda silly idea, innit? But we all have silly ideas. I have my fair share, anyways XD

Plus some winning contributions by the illustrious Martin LBT
Led Zeppelin - Lemon Song
Pescado Rabioso - La Cereza del Zar
Invisible - Durazno Sangrando
Ramones - Havanna Affair (I used to make a living, man / Pickin' the banana)
Onda Vaga - El Experimento (Linda manzana la saludé y los besitos vinieron solitos...)
J. Drexler - Oda al Tomate (some say it’s a fruit : P)
Sander Van Doorn - Apple (original mix)

Just say YES (Intensive residential Mega YES+ w/ Kamlesh pt 1)

THURSDAY: It’s very difficult to keep the mind between the past & the present…d’yknow what I mean? (“Grey Gardens”, Rufus Wainwright)
During the car ride 2 Irenaika talked a lot w/ Mica, my future roomm8. We discussed HIM. They were her Teenage Angst band, what silverchair was 2 me I guess. She even studied Finnish a couple of years, Vallo (Ville Vallo: frontman of the Finnish band HIM) means light. I bet he could use the AOL course. I told her about my Finnish palz Essi & Ellu. Mica also enjoys biology, recycling, nature & insects. Anyways…

Celes; Carmen; sugar free pepas; being reunited with Facu & Eve; Flor Peña & Rami Mora (epic hugs); Lea & Luki; Maria Bouquet Live Interpreter; sun salutations till-you-drop; Martin “mi angelito”: ROCK! Mi angelito during the last YES+ sucked but Martin is cool; the “family”: Mora, Cora, Caro, Mica, Martin, Christine (dude, our names go so well together); Fuego en la montaña corre corre corre; complaining with Pepi; telling Yamila what I want; heated debate w/ Lu, Facu & others about how much $ the shopkeeper lost; Pablo R & his beautiful girlfriend; Nano & Cande; Dani Buda; Guido; Kamikazee Kambo Kamlesh; finger snapping; NOW!, NOW!, NOW!; Mica & I sharing stories of the Boys We Loved The Most (they start with the same letter, too!); Lea & Facu telling jokes in the hall; wanting a mini Kamlesh 2 take home 4 my night table, or better yet, a little one to & fly over my shoulder like the small fairy that follows Link from Zelda around. I bet THAT would whip me in2 shape.



FRIDAY: “Part of the process”, Morcheeba
AM: Giving massages 2 Gonzalo & Fede as morning Seva (I rule @ giving massages, srsly) bc I missed the srs bsns Seva (cleaning the tent & hallway)…OOPS; getting a massage from Gonza; untangling a gigantic knot of nametag necklaces (also Seva?) w/ Delfi & Paulo; beautiful Michelle & her sky blue bindi; Sole who looks like a supermodel; Marce; guessing ages (some ppl thought I was 19, WIN); wi-fi not working; meeting Sofi from Punta del Este who had answered all my email inquiries.

AFTERNOON: Finally got the chance 2 greeted Maria Bouquet. She asked how Germany had been, I said gr8. She was like “Kamlesh lives in the ashram @ Bad Antogast, u know?” I didn’t. She introduced us & told him that I’d been there over the holidays 4 a Part 2 w/ Guruji. I told him I’d met a buncha cool Yes We Can Kids & that they said HI, that Andreas says HI. I said I’d had an awesome time there, all while grinning like a Cheshire Cat & adding “I’M SO HAPPY”, in case it wasn’t clear. We high fived. I love high fives. But I often miss, bc I’m kinda uncoordinated.



@ teatime, met Sabri & discovered we both studied Journalism @ the same Uni (although she graduated a couple of years b4 me) & had many of the same teachers! Ha. So fun to gossip about them all. Some could totally use the AOL course. It rained SO HARD. Like, floods all over. Luckily my room didn’t flood. But I got mega nausea & a splitting headache. We were gonna return 2 the tent when I told Mica 2 go ahead bc I feared vomiting on somebody. Went to the bathroom, threw up (but not on top of anybody). Still feeling like shit, I went 2 Marce. He gave me Blessing (energy transmish, kinda like Reiki) & I felt better instantly. Went 2 the tent 4 some dancing, general fun & silliness. I even led 4 a while, feeling pumped, energetic, GOOD AS NEW…4 like 10’. Then nausea again. Marlene gave me Blessing. We meditated. Towards the end of the meditation I jumped up, ran out of the tent & barfed again x_X In short…that night I was in “Away” mode, ha! Releasing toxins I guess, bc I threw up tons. I hoped it wouldn’t be like 3 Fridays before, when I vomited so much I ended up having 2 go to the hospital due to dehydration. It didn’t go that far this time though : P Anyways I was told 2 take it easy so I just chilled, lay in the back of the tent (close to the exit, in case of emergency, LOL) & got lotsa love from everyone. That was gr8 : ) They took such good care of me. Honey candies, water, blankets, Blessing from Andy & Lea (I think, I was kinda outta it @ the time) & a swarm of mosquitoes on my legs every time I left the tent 2 barf. DNW!!!

After the sesh I felt good as new. Had a heart-to-heart with Flor Peña in which she encouraged me to go talk to Kamlesh about some Thingz, so I did. It was great, he shared some Words of Wisdom AND gave me a candy. Then I went to dinner, ate ONE bite of cheese, had to get up run to the bathroom to hurl. SIGH!!! Later Maru brought me tea & Pablo F made me shredded apple & that went ok. Pablo R also brought me Gatorade & Raspberry jell-o, what a darling. It was his birthday, too! Pepi blew bubbles. I stayed up kinda l8 chatting up a storm w/ Pablo F, Martin & Rami Mora. The power went out @ 1 point & it totally felt like VIAJE DE EGRESADOS A BARILOCHE. I got that feeling the whole time @ Irenaika, it was just like PARTY, DANCE, HAPPINESS, WOO-HOO! Except no booze, beer, boliches (nightclubs), bongs or ~snoochie boochies~.

Bonus: txt msg from Mili DeMari wishing me a Very Happy UnBirthday : ) & I sent full of love sms 2 my folks.
Video: Kamlesh talking about YES+