scrabble for one

what my friend rani said about damien rice in a recent conversation.

i know i've mentioned miranda july before, but, well, i'll mention her again.

i recently remembered one of her projects that touched me when i saw it for the first time, around last february. then i forgot about it until about a week ago and it's been entertaining me ever since.
in short, it's a website with various crazy and amusing assignments given by miranda july and harrell fletcher. anyone who reads the assignments is welcome to complete any of them and get their work displayed. the idea of all this is to lead people into new/fun/healing/thought-provoking experiences. i've been toying with the idea of doing an assignment or two. some of my favorites are:

Draw a constellation from someone's freckles

Write a press release about an everyday event.

Lipsync to shy neighbor's Garth Brooks cover. (ha!)

Make a portrait of your friend's desires.

Draw the news.

Write the phone call you wish you could have.

Take a flash photo under your bed.

Make a child's outfit in an adult size.

check it out. it might inspire you.

smog - to be of use

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RA meeting recap

what happens when you gather a bunch of strangers (who thought they had one thing in common) around a table with many bottles of red wine?
three things: 1. they have fun 2. they discover they have a lot more in common 3. a hangover the next morning.

how it all began: petya and i met a couple of weeks ago and had a really fun evening out blabbing about the ups and downs of coming back to bulgaria. later, she mentioned that in her blog, nicky said in a comment he returned to the mothership, too, and i added a half-serious comment that we should start a support circle for returnees. petya was the one to give my sarcastic comment a kick - she offered that we throw a returnees anonymous party. then elena and DJ (or is it denny?) got excited by the idea, everyone brought along more returnees (ani, emma, vessela, ivo, doriana)and, well, the rest is history...

there were lots of laughs, ordering bottle after bottle of red wine followed by maniacal-looking-in-the-eye toasts, and talking about anything and everything. some of the conversation topics included: sushi, throwing a sushi party in LIULIN(!), The Reason for having seven years of bad sex, socialism, whether emma looks like a whore or a transvestite or neither, julia kristeva, a wedding :), white snake, antidepressants, a sad boy george story, atheism, and, of course, the eternal "should i stay or should i go" debacle so commonly found in the minds of young bulgarians. all this followed by mad e-mail/phone number exchange.

somewhere amidst all the words and laughter and wine i somehow got chosen (well, okay, proclaimed myself) to be the future godmother of the wonderful kyle. i've got enough reasons to think me baptizing kyle will be the biggest travesty ever and god, will it be fun!

we finally had to leave the place around 2am (two hours after closing time) but i don't think anyone wanted to leave. at least i didn't.

not believing in herd type events, i didn't think this party would go so well. but it did. i met lots of cool people and they felt like friends. i can't wait to meet them again.

p.s. my cure for hangover: a painkiller, an upsarin c, a pot of coffee and beta band's "dog got a bone"
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what's yours?

camille

i've always thought youtube videos look ugly embedded in blogs, but i just couldn't resist.

this is camille, an ex-nouvelle vague vocalist. she released her amazing second solo album "le fil" last year (and i discovered her just yesterday), in which the only accompanying instruments used are the double bass and keyboards. incredibly, everything else on it is voice, clapping, and snapping of fingers.

check the live version of "ta douleur" out, it's spectacular.



how cool is this woman?

i took this photo almost two years ago when i went to see a circus troupe perform near the osaka harbor. this was the support act for the actual show, which was inspired by buster keaton (the show itself was completely magical. imagine 50 japanese men and women dressed like buster keaton, looking exactly alike, performing for two hours wearing his famous stone face and not using words. they made rhythm patterns out of syllables and their bodies moved to this rhythm.)
this woman was wearing a traditional kimono, as you can see, but the music was very different and not-japanese. there was something remotely burlesque about her act, something of a different era, something completely charming. she played with so much heart. this photo really doesn't even show one bit of it.

later, me and my friend sat and watched the open air performance in the drizzling rain. ships were passing in the horizon of the stage. we were wet and cold but we didn't mind a bit. it was pure magic.


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cat power live

check out cat power in concert, presenting her new record - "the greatest".
i daresay she is.

thanks to npr.

"Marshall has a reputation for giving sometimes unpredictable live performances. But her current tour is the best-reviewed of her career."

audio

after an unsuccessful attempt to stream audio from this blog, i'm happy to announce my new podcast is out. their stream works perfectly well. ;)

also, an apartment in my building blew up, but that's long story.

test

i've been meaning to turn this thing into a pseudo audioblog for quite a while now. thanks to my friend ralitza, it finally worked out.

i'll test things out with the cute little track "dot" by the canadian ex hip hop and electro artist gonzales. now he plays the piano. quite a transition, hey?


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dan savage podcast

my favorite media personality, the sex advice columnist dan savage, has a spanking new podcast! well, maybe not so new. there are four issues of it out there already.

he sounds as cute and bratty as i expected. he's damn smart, too. i love this guy. go check him out.

preparations for winter

november came and sofia froze solid with the kind of cold that makes your face twitch. i love all seasons but i have to admit i'm a winter kind of girl and i can't wait to experience real winter again -- with icicles and the snow crackling under my feet. kyoto winter was just snowless and the bitchin' cold in my house had almost killed my love for winter and cold in general.

despite the cold, i've been spending quite a lot of money on t-shirts lately, namely because for some reason there are cooler t-shirts in the stores of sofia than jackets or coats.
but as i was having a smoke and a nightcap with my mom last night, she suddenly remembered that she had the coolest leather jacket stored away in the bottom of the dresser. my grandma's leather jacket that my grandpa bought for her from istanbul in 1970. that's right, it is 36 years old but that makes it all the more precious. the jacket is beautifully preserved and it fits my vintage hipster wannabe look. my grandpa was a man with taste and my grandma was a tiny, skinny woman which i am not, but luckily the jacket is big enough for me to fit in.

so, i'm ready for winter -- dark mornings and short days, snow, dark beer, red wine, cinnamon lattes, skiing, and extra sensitivity to music.

the photo is of my friend yana changing shoes before me, her, and bobby went on a small hike on the what i believe was the last warm and sunny weekend for a long time to come.

menomena -- e. is stable

purple rain

I never meant to cause you any sorrow
I never meant to cause you any pain
I only wanted to one time see you laughing
I only wanted to see you laughing in the purple rain

Purple rain Purple rain
Purple rain Purple rain
Purple rain Purple rain

I only wanted to see you bathing in the purple rain

I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I only wanted to be some kind of friend
Baby I could never steal you from another
It's such a shame our friendship had to end

Purple rain Purple rain
Purple rain Purple rain
Purple rain Purple rain

I only wanted to see you underneath the purple rain

Honey I know, I know, I know times are changing
It's time we all reach out for something new
That means you too
You say you want a leader
But you can't seem to make up your mind
I think you better close it
And let me guide you to the purple rain

Purple rain Purple rain
Purple rain Purple rain

If you know what I'm singing about up here
C'mon raise your hand

Purple rain Purple rain

I only want to see you, only want to see you
In the purple rain

purple rain -- covered by tori amos

the crane wife

it's past my bedtime, but i'm up stitching up my next podcast, i've had a bit to drink, and even if i'm sleepy, i don't want to go to bed yet. damn, too many of my posts prove that i always feel guilty for staying up.

whatever.

i'm listening to the new decemberists album, more precisely to the song "the crane wife 1 & 2". the whole album was inspired by a japanese folktale called, duh, "the crane wife". it's about this guy who was poor and lonely and living in the forest. he was completely desperate. one day he went out of his house and found a wounded crane at his doorstep. whether on not the crane was pierced through by an arrow is dubious. but he found the skinny injured crane and decided to take it home and take care of it. a while after that, when the crane healed, he decided to let it go and fly away where it belongs. but the crane came back. in the shape of a beautiful woman. who fell in love and married the miserable guy. but no, there's no happy end. read on. so they got married and were happy for a few days, and then the guy remembered how poor he was. he shared his torments with his wife and she offered him the following deal:
she'd weave silk clothes for them to sell but under one condition. he should never, under any circumstances, see her doing it. he agreed. and then she started weaving and he started selling the clothes. driven by his greed he asked her to weave more and more clothes, completely oblivious to her deteriorating health. one day, he even decided to peak in and see how the hell she's doing all this. he opened the door and saw an ill-looking crane plucking off the last of its beautiful feathers...the crane saw him and flew away never to come back.

beautiful story, hey?

the album is poppy but pretty. i have a soft spot for the decemberists, so i forgive them the duet with laura veirs, whom i wouldn't mind if she'd kept to herself.

goodnight, internet. i'm going to bed.

shameless self-advertisement

okay.

so the guys at http://dot.cult.bg/notitle accepted me in their team of podcasters and now i get to do a podcast periodically, around once every six weeks. wooooohooo!

i'm quite excited about it.

my show is and will remain focused on unpopular pop and rock music.

here, give it a listen:

a jerk's dream come true or how to legally terrorize people with the music you like

triple r subscription dilemma

i know i haven't posted here for a long time, but i just don't feel like giving a detailed explanation. i relocated. i went back home. that's it.

something funny happened right now, and i'd like to hear your opinion about it.

triple r is my favorite radio station. it's an independent radio station from melbourne, australia. they count only on donations(subscriptions)from listeners to keep going. so i thought it'd be a great idea if i could do something for them, having in mind that i listen to them quite often.

i just called them and the woman who took my call was very nice to me. there was one thing, though, i could pay only by credit card or bank card. when i asked whether i could pay by bank transfer, she had to ask the people around her if that's possible.
and here's the thing. when she told them i was from bulgaria, someone started laughing. i'm not quite sure that's the surprised reaction of someone. smile, yes. laughing about it for 2 minutes? i don't think so.

so, my question is: am i victimizing myself for being discriminated against as an eastern european or was that person just really surprised? whattaya think?

i have one month left to transfer the money (there is a way, it turned out). but i'd like to know if the people i'm helping are really that open minded as they say the are.

that leaving feeling

http://cissme.com/bgroup/rm/beggars/stuar/video/thatleavingfeeling_rvh.ram

))<>(( forever.

last sunday i saw a very good movie. it's the best i've seen in a long, long while.

a simple, unpretentious, unsweetened, yet fabulously charming and deep film about life. not too dramatic, not hilariously funny. just perfect. this is what movies should be like.

i think i'm in love with miranda july.

do watch the movie if you find the time. it's worth it.

miranda july -- when i call a name:

she: if you really love me, let's make a vow.
right here, together, right now. okay?

he: okay

she: alright, repeat after me. i'm gonna be free.

he: i'm gonna be free.

she: and i'm gonna be brave.

he: i'm gonna be brave.

she: good. i'm gonna live each day as if it were my last.

he: oh, that's good.

she: you like that?

he: yeah

she: say it.

he: i'm gonna live each day as if it were my last.

she: fantastically.

he: fantastically.

she: courageously.

he: courageously.

she: with grace.

he: with grace.

she: and in the dark of the night...

he: and it does get dark.

she: when i call a name

he: when i call a name

she: it'll be your name... what's your name?

he: nevermind.

she: let's go. say it.

he: let's go.

she: everywhere.

he: everyhere.

she: even though

he: even though

she: we're scared.

he: we're scared.

she: cause it's life.

he: it's life.

she: and it's happening. it's really really happening, right now...

Sleater Kinney -- The Woods

so again i'm up in the middle of the night. sleep is fucking with me. no sleep tonight, or very little. we'll see. whatever.

it's been a while since i've talked about music. not that i ever really wrote about it here.
i've been in a dull music coma the past week, unwillingly faltering between a couple of songs that if i couldn't enjoy, at least could tolerate. but they wouldn't make me feel electrified, provoke goosebumps, or simply make me happy for three minutes. just no. i wanted something more -- more exciting, more satisfying, something better. and nothing was good enough.


well. i just found it. Sleater Kinney's "The Woods". it's not exactly new anymore.
but i am completely entranced, ladies and gentlemen.

it's funny, because this album's been collecting dust on my cd pile for a good few months and i never gave it a chance. back then i guess i was in the mood for something cheesier and thought "oh, the new sleater kinney's too heavy." yeah, well. i can be a deluded moron sometimes.

it is heavier than their previous records, sure. and it's fucking brilliant.
the lyrics are deep and meaningful; carrie and corin's voices complement each other to absolute perfection; the guitars are thumpy and full of life almost with a touch of hendrix; janet's drums bash their way into the songs with so much power and elegance at the same time... to make this whole album just mindblowing. i'm beyond words.

seriously, it's the best alternative/indie album i've heard in a long time.
fuck sleep. i'm in love.

p.s. so tell me, what music did you fall in love with recently?


sleater kinney -- jumpers

lomo fisheye update

yo, blogspot. i still haven't learned how to caption right, so you'll have to bear with me. at least this time i used my film the right way, ha.

1. a late fall afternoon view of kamogawa, the river that splits kyoto in two. the small dots on the right along the bank are couples. ah, ever so romantic! makes me a tad nauseous.

2. crossing sanjo bridge.

3. momiji. thourgh a fisheye. the hell with focus! it's a lomo!

4. me and my dear firend shino yesterday morning in front of the kyoto gallery of contemporary arts. quite a suicidal shot, considering all the traffic. i think we got it right the fourth time, right before a bus ran us over. we had to run for our lives right after the "click". the red gate is the tallest in japan, if im not wrong, and it is the entrance to the tiny (only on the photo) heian shrine.

5. shino looking half as tall as the gate :) a safer angle.

6. my favorite shot.

shino is the best model.


micatone -- d-d-d-d-dance.mp3

absolut sofia

a friend showed me this today. such an honest photo.


broken social scene -- shampoo suicide

Чара

Чара - най-прекрасното куче по света и околностите
(12. 04. 1993 -- 17. 01. 2006)

сбогом, мъничката ми. обичам те.

...

тя обичаше плодово кисело мляко, както и бяло сирене, наред с вареното пиле. кучешките мажди не щеше да ги погледне дори. и сладолед обичаше.
обичаше да тича в снега и да гони снежни топки и пръчки. пръчките никога не ги носеше обратно. обичаше да си ги гризе с кеф докато станат на трески. тогава ми хвърляше победоносен поглед и чакаше да и метна нова пръчка за гонене и за унищожаване. обичаше да ходи по пухени завивки като в облак и после да се сгуши в краката на който и да е от семейството.
обичаше да ходи по слънчевите лъчи, промъкващи се през пердетата и винаги го правеше с особено внимание. адски бавно и съсредоточено и с блажено изражение. винаги съм и се чудела защо го прави, но сега смятам и аз да пробвам.
Чарка познаваше звукът от мотора на всяка кола, която сме имали. винаги наостряше уши и се качваше на стола до прозореца, за да посрещне майка ми или сестра ми. като някоя от нас беше тъжна, идваше и ни близваше по ръката и гледаше притеснено.
обичаше да се вози в кола. тя беше винаги в скута ми, най-надежден навигатор. морета, планини...обиколила е България тази дакелка. обичаше да си пийне студена вода и да се излегне под една масичка на "Варната", след като бяхме достигнали победоносно Варвара към залез слънце. плуваше добре, но не и беше любимият спорт. предпочиташе да гони пеперуди.

Чаричка обичаше всички тези и много други неща и беше щастливо и безумно обичано куче.


shivaree -- i will go quietly

life on mars?

Seu Jorge -- Life on Mars

Quantas coisas do coração
Não conseguem compreender
O que mente não faz questão
E nem tem forças pra obedecer
Quantos sonhos já destrui
E deixei escapar das mãos
Se o futuro assim permitir
Não pretendo viver em vão

Meu amor não estamos sós
Tem um mundo a esperar por nós
No infinito do céu azul
Pode ter vida em Marte

Então, vem cá me dá a sua lingua
Então vem, eu quero abraçar você
Teu poder vem do sol
Minha medida
Então vem, vamos viver a vida
Então vem, senão eu vou perder quem sou
Vou querer me mudar para uma life on mars

Quantas coisas do coração
Não conseguem compreender
Porque a mente não faz questão
Nem tem forças pra obedecer
Quantos sonhos já destrui
E deixei escapar das mãos
Se o futuro assim permitir
Não pretendo viver em vão

Meu amor, não estamos sós
Tem um mundo a esperar por nós
No infinito do céu azul
Pode ter vida em Marte

Então, vem cá me dá a sua lingua
Então vem, senão eu vou perder quem sou
Seu poder vem do sol
Minha medida
Então vem, vamos viver a vida
Meu bem, senão eu vou perder quem sou
Vou querer me mudar para uma life on mars



the song and the photo are completely unrelated in real life. but tonight it seemed to me that they fit well, albeit out of context. thanks to gal for the beautiful song.