Lovely Morning;

It's a beautiful morning in Amsterdam. It's bright, surprisingly sunny and fresh, almost as if you get up and the canals are whispering mist that makes all this worth it. I love this city. I know some people who don't, and to be honest, it is not the easiest to move to. Amsterdam has its reputation, of course, but when you live here and deal with it's odd day-to-day you realize that the reputation is false. Sure, the tourists are placated with pot and hookers, but living here is different. It's difficult, annoying, claustrophobic, rainy and filled with needless and sometimes never ending paperwork. Yet, it is quiet, clean, boring, friendly and gorgeous. It is the most inspiring city in Europe - in my opinion - and I am surely going to miss it when I head to London. A morning likes this engenders reflection. it's that nice. The window is open, the birds are hanging out, it's all just that relaxing. I love it here. I do. Too bad life, financial security and my future lies in London. I do like London. I like it a lot. But nothing is Amsterdam. It's just gezellig here (that means cozy).

The flatmates are in Bratislava and I'm heading back to London this afternoon. I'm off to High Wycombe tomorrow night to meet friends and then flying to Reykjavik on Monday morning. I can't believe this year has flown by so quickly. I remember arriving in Iceland last year - starry eyed, confused, exhilirated - and this year is the same. Except now I know people and my way around.

Other than that, all is, well much of the same really. I have a lot of work to do, but it's slowly working itself out day-by-day. I'm also back to dealing with immigration. I wonder how many 24 year olds deal with the amount of immigration I do. You learn a lot about the system and how to deal with it, but it never gets any less annoying. But, it's a part of life being an ex-pat. There are lots of things we take for granted at home that I can't here; just basic stuff like taxes, health insurance, finding doctors, immigration etc.. It took me two weeks to find insecticide in Amsterdam. It just doesn't exist. Well, it does but its hidden at Etos.

I'm rambling a bit here cause I rarely have time to update this and I thought it could use a good, strong update. I bet when I'm old and read all this I'll wonder why I wasted all this time complaining and stressing about useless things, because I'm realizing it all just doesn't matter. Life is one big shitstorm; It's the umbrella you carry that makes the difference, methinks. Was that even a cogent metaphor? Ah, well, who cares.

It's so gorgeous today. I'm listening to the Arcade Fire. I'm at home. For the time being, I am the happiest person in town. At 4PM I leave. It's 10:10AM. Till then.

Quick...


I am a bit too pooped to add a big update. I just spent the weekend in Paris with my family, which was the first vacation I have taken with them in, well, ever. It was Paris, so it was gorgeous and the weather held out, and I saw a lot of city I haven't. I usually do nothing in Paris.. see friends, drink, relax. My brother and sis-in-law added a lot more touristy things to the mix this time, which was refreshing for me. Seeing my mom marvel at the sheer beauty of the city was also something else. It made me feel that sometimes, once in a blue moon, things are great. That is a good feeling.

I have a busy week here. London -> Amsterdam -> London -> Iceland in a week. I started a new job. A real one. I'm keeping the details a secret though.

Post #195...


I don't give much in the way f details on this blog anymore. Publicizing one's life is good to a point, but really, I'd rather remain mostly anonymous. I know that when I read these posts in a few years and re-remember all the things I forgot, I'll be pleased I included details. Still, from now on, things will be more generalized. It's more fun to talk about other people than myself. I'm boring as fuck. I don't know how boring 'fuck' is, but I heard it can be a doozy. I like the word doozy. Good word. It shall be reclaimed.

Nothing much is happening in my fantastic international travel lifestyle. I partied with some Swedish movie stars yesterday. OK, that's a lie. I did watch Michael Moore's 'Sicko'. Not sure what to think about it yet. It's standard Michael Moore jam-my-opinion down-your-throat-by-making-other-people-seem-worse-than-you rhetoric, but he sure has a point. The US medical system is in desperate need of reform. One should contribute via their means and receive for their needs, as universalized healthcare dictates in principle. Saying that, I still am not his biggest fan. I do prefer him to, well, any American governmental official except for Dennis Kuscinch. That hasn't changed.

I also went to Den Haag twice. Once to submit a passport application and another time to pick up a temporary one. I ran out of pages on mine. Yup, that happens. It's a bitch too when it does. And it's expensive. La-dee-da-dee-da. I'm also addicted to the show 'Dead Like Me' on TV Links, and I'm catching up on a shitload of reading. I think I have a shitload. It's a lot to the exponent of several times a bunch plus two. Oh practical math. To those unaware of the joke, a long time ago friends of mine and I decided to pursue the art of quantifying practical math. Like, how much is a shitload? Is many + a few = a lot? and so on.

Amsterdam is cold, rainy, cold and windy. I know I used cold twice. I bought a frilly multi-coloured scarf. Now I look like a field hockey player. It's fantastic, I promise. I also did heaps of laundry, but our flat is too cold for my jeans to dry. Ever put on damp jeans? Hell on earth.

OK, I'll leave you with a link now. Not going to tell you what it is. Just search 'wanker' in Amazon and see what comes up. work can be so much fun.

Ta.

Title Maybe...


For some reason when these are uploaded into facebook, they lack a title. Well, I tried to title this one. I have a few minutes before class here; Dealing with governmental paperwork mostly right now, as not only do I need a new VISA, but also my passport is out of pages. Both are problems and are a pain to sort out. I am surely looking forward to this one. Ever try to get a Canadian passport picture in Amsterdam at a photo shop? God, at home people take so many things for granted it's insane.

I have to update my website too; I'm hoping to do that this weekend, amongst many, many other things. Living in two countries at once is an organizational struggle. Yet, it sounds cool when you tell people, 'ýup, I live in two countries.' Maybe others are enthralled in the sheer exoticism of the travelling, the adventure. Really, it's all a big pain in the ass for the most part. It does give me something to talk about, and most people are pretty easy to entertain, so there you go.

Seeing Stars on Saturday. They are a band if you don't know. a Good one.

Been a while...


I don't update this much anymore; I know. I wish I had time. Things are insane, and will continue to be until at least January. It looks like my time will be split between London and Amsterdam equally until then, as I have taken on a position that requires me to be in London two days per week. I need to solidify full-time work to afford the cost increase of moving to London, so in order to prove myself at this job, I am making an investment in myself and of my time to try and help out a company design and maintain a project. I pray it works out.

Life has, well, been a bit shit as of late. I'm not going to elaborate why. You're welcome to ask me directly. I guess I'll look back at this in a few months and laugh at my cliched hyperbolic ramblings. Things aren't that bad, just exhausting, tough and uncertain. I guess that's the way to be at 24. I'm a bit sick of traveling though. There, I said it.

An Update...


I have a moment to update, but really, it is becoming tough to find time to write on this thing. Plus, I know only three people read it, and I know who they are. I can just send them an email and cc it to all instead. Well, been in Toronto for ten days and I'm looking forward to going home at the end of this week. Been busy with Kae Sun mostly, whilst pre-planning a move to the UK, which will include real job finding, a new flat, a Visa and all the crap that moving to yet another country will yield. I hope to settle down a bit - not too much but a bit - in the UK, which shouldn't be too difficult. Finding a real job may be. Who knows. I have a few leads.

Speaking of, I have to go do some of it now. Fun.

love ya all.

Forgive me blog for I have sinned...

Well, I kinda forgot to update this thing in the last while. It's been over two weeks since I updated anything here that had nothing to do with Kae Sun, and I know I know, a few people do actually read this verbal garbage. I do have to admit though, that my life isn't all that interesting anymore, or, saying that, it is interesting in a different way, and I'm genuinely happier for the most part with the change. This summer was certainly amazing. I went to the Faroe Islands and had the time of my life. I went to Barcelona twice. Austria with my amazing friend Hanna and spent one of the best days of my life at her brother's house in Spitz, lived in London for a while, went to Germany and spent some wonderful time in Amsterdam. Now I have an amazing girlfriend, some semblance of domestication, a new album and I'm back in Canada, chilling with old friends.

But really, other than living in airports (research write-off), my life isn't all that interesting. I promise. I swear. That's why I don't update this all that much. To be honest, all I am thinking about now is breakfast, trying to email old friends I haven't said hello to in a while whilst making sure I make it outside and enjoy what looks to be a beautiful day. I'll write more later.

KAE SUN

Ghost Town Prophecy

CLICK ON THE COVER TO BUY

TRACKS

1. Where Did Everybody Go

2. Kidnapped

3. Stay Up

4. Metropolis

5. Living In The City

6. Angels By Day

Download Kae Sun HERE

All is fine here, really. I'm going to the UK on WED to see Alice, then back to Canada for 3 weeks for some band and family stuff... Oh, and I finished a chapter of my thesis, which makes me thrilled. Makes me thrilled? Is that ever proper grammer? meh, fuck it.

I've decided today that people are completely incompetent at the supermarket. For some reason, getting milk took about 40 minutes today despite living 4 minutes from the grocer. There was one aisle open, of course, and a massive queue for it. And people always wait till they see the price to open their wallet and fish through for cash; like the can't guesstimate in advance and prepare the money for the cashier? I love how people are always surprised at the cost. Like, how do they no know what they are buying at this exact moment? Drives me insane.

I will miss this city though; minus the supermarkets, it's ace.

Kae Sun is available to purchase ONLINE!!!!
http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Purchase Digital Tracks Here

Purchase via CD Baby in North America HERE

Purchase via Amazon in the UK and Europe HERE


CD Release Parties:
Sep 6 - Casbah, Hamilton
Sep 21 - Clintons, Toronto
Sep 25 - Isaac's Pub, St. Catharines

full tourdates HERE

It's sorta nice today...

First chapter of thesis is coming along.. well, along coming. I'm up to about 7000 words thus far and I can see pushing the 10,000 word mark before I get my point across. Crazy. And it is only one chapter. I am in for the long haul.

Absolutely nothing to report, which is why I'm hesitant to even update this. I am alive, quite well thank you very much and in Amsterdam. I have no plans to leave until Aug 28, and Alice is coming to visit in five days. That is about it. It was gorgeous this morning but it has clouded over, which is a bit shit, and we're hoping the sun comes out again. I am listening to Swan Lake; the indie-rock band, not the ballet.

Boring can be nice. I don't see when I will have time to relax for a while after August.

All Systems Quiet,

August is such a quiet month. Ninety percent of people are on vacation - and I don't blame them - and the days just seem to drift by slowly, as if the clock is being held back just a little bit. It's great, but it's also weird, as it is the opposite of all things usual for me. I guess I can focus on my thesis, but it is a pain in the rear. Well, off to read.

Post 184,

I oten hark back to yesteryear and marvel at how idealistic I was as a youth; It's not that I'm not youthful now, but when you help run two companies, adulthood strikes. It seems like said youthful and seemingly ignorant idealism has been replaced by pragmatism, as I don't feel idealistic anymore. That does not mean I don't have any ideals, not at all, but I feel to attain them, dreaming just doesn't cut it.

I feel this way because lately I've started to apply for real jobs, the first time I have ever had to do this. I am moving to London for work to make money and pay off student loans, and I need a real, somewhat organized job to do so. Dreaming about finding a job doesn't find one. And the submission process begins.

On another note, summer has finally arrived in Amsterdam, finally. It was sunny and thirty today. I went with my buddy Sander to the Kwakoe Festival in the Bijmer, which is the 'ghetto' of Amsterdam. It was great; tons of Surinamese culture, various African trinkets and food, lots of Dutch hip-hop, good fun indeed. Great way to spend a summer day, but I am procrastinating with work, as I sit here and type this blog.

Lastly, we found out today that our new album debuted at #19 on the CFMU Hamilton Charts, which is fantastic. Everyone is digging the album, and things are positive. Onward and upward with the struggle we go. till next time. I will continue to keep my head on the ground.

Theorizing...

Now is the time to dream, methinks. I'm finally home in my little cheap box - I live in a storage room essentially in the attic of a building in the ghetto - but comfortable and happy and quiet. Yet, things are alive all over the place. School is starting up again, as my thesis has become paramount in the to-do pile; In addition, a prospective move to good ol' London town has been proposed and is being considered heavily. It'll be easier to find what normal people call 'real' work there, and other things are driving me there, mainly family, friends, Alice, easy transport links and the knowing that I can always come back to Amsterdam, which will be frequent.

Regardless, this is all THEORY, hypothesizing.. nothing else. I prefer Amsterdam to London, but I prefer what's IN London to Amsterdam, despite my adopted hometown being nothing short of amazing, despite the language and little pain in the necks that encompass life here sometimes. Plus, I'm way cooler to others when I say 'I live in Amsterdam.' London is so pedestrian :) just kidding. I guess we'll see; only time shall tell.

Last Day in London...

Well, my domestication trip in London is nearing a close. I am so happy I decided not to go to Switzerland, even though I love Switzerland and my friends there; regardless, being about to spend a lot of time at work and with Alice has been amazing; London costs a fortune, and a bank machine ate my Dutch debit card forcing me to deplete my Canadian account, but such is life; I guess I gotta start thinking a bit about a move to London, maybe a real job one of these days, or at least more writing to survive financially in this expensive city. For example, yesterday we went to this great vegetarian curry restaurant in Angel with all sorts of propaganda on the walls telling people they would get cancer by eating meat; The all you can eat buffet was three quid; it actually cost more to get there, than to eat. Then we went to the pub and laughed, drank some Pimms and relaxed; perfect night, but expensive indeed.

Things writing wise are good. The G! Festival was amazing, and I've made some good Faeroese friends because of it, despite a lot of folks not even knowing where the place is. Iceland has been reconfirmed as well for next year, as we rented a flat and I bought my plane ticket. I'll be writing it up for DrownedinSound, which should be nice.

Other than that, nothing much to report. I feel that my life is only exciting to those outside of it, as it does seem I am living this jetsetting, whirlwind existence. I admit I travel a lot, and I am growing tired of it, but really, life ain't that entertaining. I'm just happy hanging out. Back to Amsterdam tomorrow, where I'll be there, thank god, most of August. September and October are mostly spent on the road, so I have to relish every minute of course.

x shain

London...

I have been in London all week, and it has been lovely. I've been hanging out with Alice and her housemates, working a real job at DiS - well, some sort of semblance of a real job whereas I work from 10 ish to 5 ish, and going out and spending loads of money on my oyster card. Really, I'm domesticating here, and really fucking happy about it. I may be moving to London round x-mas time, but who knows.

I will add a huge update when I get back to Amsterdam; promise... For now, here are more Faeroe Island pics. love - shain

Big Update,

Firstly, read my G! Festival Review - HERE

I am http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifso busy at work right now so I don't gave much time to update this, but I owe the blog and whomever reads it a good solid update, especially because I have to talk about Faeroes. Well, here goes.

The Faeroes are amazing. Imagine a place where every view, every vantage point is postcard worthy. Giant green treeless hills, peering in and out of bright blue fjords and houses with turfed roofs. I thought when I got there that little green people with webbed feet would live there, but nope, normal people did. Except they were all tall and gorgeous and blond. The festival was in this town called Gota, population 980, and pretty much the main street was converted in the festival grounds. We had to take a bus from the airport for 90 minutes cause it was on a different island, and the whole experience of travelling throughout this country was truly surreal. It was empty. There are 18 islands and 47,000 people, of 19,000 live in the capital, a pretty little town called Torshavn. So we made it to the festival round 6PM. We stayed at this guy's house named Jeffrey. He has heated floors in his bathroom and a bunch of big screen TVs. We had our own cots, had free reign on his food and beer and got to chill with his family, who was wonderful.

I was a plainly odd but amazing festival experience. Firstly everyone we met was fanastic, and I made some really good friends I could see as being lifelong, including Ben, Nettie, Lucy and Will. The music was good, but there was constant, constant drinking and just gorgeous views. It also rarely got dark, only for about 45 minutes, so we were all disoriented and hungover for about three days. I do have too much work to do, so here are some pictures.

Faroe Islands...

Well, here is my blog entry before I head off and grab some dinner. The Faroe Islands are fantastic. Arguably one of the nicest and most postcardy places I have ever been. In addition, the people here are beyond wonderful. They put Rich and I up in a family home in Gota, the village that has essentially become a music festival for the weekend. They just invited us in, gave us beds, food, free Faroese beer, everything. It truly has been an amazing experience. I can't really write that much because I am so busy, but a full report will happen. Truly, these people are amazing.. everyone talks to us, everyone.. and they are absolutely wonderful. Plus this place looks like and presumably is paradise.. they have grass roofs. Plus this morning I went on a 6 hour tour of the Islands sponsored by the government, which took us on a ninety minute boat ride to the capitol, Torshavn, and then on to meet members of parliament, see a performance of Faroese music and all sorts of other shit. I am exhausted, drunk and glee. I miss Alice. But I am in paradise. The food sucks though.

Road...

And on it goes. I have noticed that the more exotic places I go to, the less exotic they become. I really have to STOP and take a moment to appreciate things as they pass me by, because I am a luck fuck to be traveling around so much. It is exhausting, absolutely knackering, but I am enjoying it. I love Barcelona, it is a glorious city, and I only have one more day left in it. I may go to a museum later.

I'm off to the arctic with a few friends on THR, but before then, I am heading to London. I am really excited to go back to London, as I like and miss London. It will be a whirlwind trip, but wonderful nonetheless.

x

Update...

I am still in Barcelona, loving this city as much as ever. Here is a quick synopsis of my goings' on as of late for the hoards of fans - I am guessing 4 people - that read this waste of time called my blog.

I had a rough day on FRI. THR was shit too for other reasons but FRI was rough. It took me 8 hours to get from Amsterdam -> Barcelona. My plane was delayed, then we waited on the tarmac, then it was a rough flight, then I missed my train, then the metro stopped for twenty minutes etc... I was slightly on the upset side of things by the time I arrived. Then I took a power nap and headed off to Summercase.

I've spent the last few days at Summercase, a big music festival in a concrete jungle called the Parc Del Forum right on the beach in Barcelona. Yesterday, my first day off - true day off - I just walked around Barcelona with my friend Katie... to the beach, away from the beach, around the old town, to a few bars. We went and grabbed some beers and sat in a square talking about robot chicken for a few hours last night too. wonderful.

I've been working my ass off today. Also went to H&M, as 3 of the 5 shirts I packed are stained, so I got off my ass and bought fresh shirts. My mom will be proud. And a pair of shorts. London WED.

Barcelona...

FINALLY found an unsecure network on my friend's balcony. I'll update this at length tomorrow. All is well, warm and sunny. I have a tan/burn. Saw Flaming Lips and Arcade Fire yesterday. AMAZING.

One Year To The Day. Where Did The Time Go?



In some ways. it feels as if nothing has changed.

Quickie,

I bet if 100 westerners were put in a room, 96 of them would be complete idiots. Sometimes, the sheer idiocy of humanity, like today, a women did not know how to put her seatbelt on in the airplane - at least that is how I saw it - seriously, and she wasn't developmentally challenged or had an excuse. She was just plainly stupid. Really, while Mike Judge's Idiocracy was a horrible movie, it made a good point. Stupid people are scarier than Bird Flu, a much stronger epidemic and are procreating at the rate accustomed to Guinea Pigs.

Maybe I am impatient, or not pragmatic enough to understand their side of the story, or maybe, just maybe, I am smarter then them, and sad because of it. Traveling really opens your eyes to the beauties in the world, but also its ugly side. You cannot have one without the other. I guess this blog entry is worth a good Waldorf and Statler quote; "They aren't half bad; Nope, they are ALL BAD..."



On another note, I am back from Vienna. My plane was delayed three hours, which makes me hate SkyEurope even more, but the airport in Vienna had free internet access - what a concept - and a Starbucks with available plugs, so I was content. Still, people are idiots. I guess that goes without saying, but I am still saying it.

Quick Update From Austria,

I am at my friend Casbi's house in Graz, Austria. This is my last day here, so I do not want to waste it updating my blog, but here's a quick synopsis of my time in this amazing country. I really do love Austria, like I love most countries. I love.

My trip did not start well. The metro in Amsterdam was broken and I was late for my flight, as per usual, so I had to take a €30 cab ride from my house to Schiphol. Then my flight sat on the tarmac for over an hour because it was a busy day of some sorts. I was in a great mood. Finally made it to Vienna after a noticeably bumpy flight and to my friend Hanna's house.

She's great and her flat is great. Right in the middle of Vienna on the top floor of an old building, so there is a big roof terrace in which you can see all of Vienna. It's really something. We watched the sunset a few times; it was like being your own Hollywood stereotype, in Vienna. The first night we went to an open air cinema in park near an old WWII bunker to see "Rock and Roll Never Dies," a brilliant Finnish film about, well, rock and roll, and pie. The problem was, it was colder than a witches' teat, and it rained, and I caught a cold, one I am still battling as I write this. Apparently they were out of blankets. Bastards.

The next day was spent walking around Veinna and sight-seeing, while thinking a lot about work. It is a beautiful city, more expensive than I thought and to be honest, very familiar. It looks like, well, pretty much any other big European city. Prague is more majestic architecturally. There are some nice buildings, like the Belvedere and government house, but all in all, nothing special. At night we went to a jazz club to see RJD2. Brilliant DJ, talkative crowd, great night.

The next day, or two days ago, we went to this tiny town on the Danube called Spitz for Hanna's brother's garden party. He lives in the middle of Austrian wine country, a truly glorious location. His house backs onto the Danube and he has a HUGE garden with shitloads of veggies and fruits. I called it a 'Vegetarian's Wet Dream' because it truly was. He has a fig tree, a kiwi tree, all sorts of squash, berries, tomatoes, tons of Apricots (they grow everywhere here) and other goodies. The party was, well, amazing.. but I was sick. Very sick. We stayed for a while before darting off to Krems, a town of 25,000 where Hanna grew up, and she showed me around. I had a mean case of the sniffles so we headed back to Vienna and I went to sleep.

Yesterday I went to Graz, which is where I am now. Graz is a college town about 3 hours south of Vienna in Steria, another province. It is truly something else, a sleepy little town that comes to life with students. My friend Casbi who owns a record label lives here, and he showed me around while we talked business (working/holiday). Nice views, nice city, picturesque, and one of the locals' favourites. Hanna loves Graz, and I can see why. Made dinner last night for everyone - salad and potato gratin with sundried tomatoes - and drank and chatted, mostly in German, while I struggled with the language. Today we're going to see a castle apparently before heading back to Vienna. I've been promised an excursion to the best veggie restaurant in Vienna and some clubbing before I hop a plane tomorrow and get down and dirty in piles and piles of work the rest of the week.

In addition, a very symbolic day in coming - this THR - and I plan to spend it not working, so I have to really get on things when I get home. Better enjoy Graz now.

I love Austria. I'm coming back in October. yeah!

much love.

Off To Austria...

I have quite the schedule this summer... If all goes well, I will be hitting up 5 big music festivals across Europe, and then returning home for a CD Release Tour. My schedule is a bit crazy, but I will get to go back to London for a few days to see my brother, and Phil, my brother-in-law, will be there as well as our schedules will overlap. My close friend Dave is coming at the end of August, and I will be going to a close friend's wedding in Deep River, ON at the end of August as well. Gonna be busy. As its looking, I'll be in Austria, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Holland (of course), UK, Switzerland and The Faroe Islands, before returning to Canada and the US at the end of the summer. My thesis is doomed. I hope Mireille, my adviser, isn't reading this.

This is mostly because of DrownedinSound, whom I am working with as much as I can. Great bunch of cats over there. We just eclipsed 300,000 hits a week, so we are the biggest independent music website in Europe. How's say?

So, what to chat about in my non-sensical world, which isn't a word by the way, but whatever. Well, I'm glad as a poet on payday that I am leaving the weather here. It has rained EVERY SINGLE DAY since I got back home, and that was June 13. Everyday is a mized bag, bipolar, as in some moments it pours and others it is sunny. My last two baseball games and one training have been rained out. I wonder why I play when my field is below sea level, so half the time it is under water. We still in second place, and I wish my lads more than well in the month I'm away. I'm sure they will kick ass, as I do bat 9th and play right field. I'm replaceable.

Other news in the world of Shain... well, our album is being released on AUG 21 and a tour is in the works. We'll have copies before Aug 1. I am fucking excited for this. No matter what happens, K and I have made it and made a new record, and we're damn proud of it. Please buy it if you like the songs.

So I leave in a few hours, writing this as I drink black coffee because we are out of milk. I am certainly going to miss Amsterdam, as I am gone minus 10 days until Sep 23, and I'm away much of October as well. But this is life, as 2007 is the year on the road it seems, and I am growing considerably because of it.. Or at least I think so. I will be back for a few days next week in time to see Bright Eyes at the Melkweg on July 11. I love Bright Eyes.

Oh, Happy Birthday Matt, Renee and everyone else I love. till next time..

I've seen A LOT of live music this past week, and it's been my two weeks off. Odd. I guess I'm hooked. I saw Smokey Robinson last night. No Shit. Like Smokey Robinson and The Miracles. He played with a massive band, and it was very much a variety show and a bit depressing, but fun. He played "I Second That Emotion," "My Girl" and a bunch of others. I left early cause of a meeting.

I saw the Dilated Peoples on Monday. Both The Alchemist and Jeru The Damaga guested, the latter being kickass, as the trio with Baboo at the DJ ripped through 75 minutes of straight hip-hop. Was Amazing.

I also saw Ted Leo, You Say Party We Say Die, Joan as Police Woman and Dinosaur Jr. last week. busy busy.

Candle...

I lit a candle last night. It is still burning. Emotional stuff indeed.

I gave a tour this morning, part of working as a guide. I'm chugging away with this job, even though it takes up quite a bit of time. I do know EVERYTHING about Amsterdam now, so you can ask me when you visit. Road starts THR. enjoying quiet time at home now.

Oh Sweet, Punishing Irony;

Sadly my close friend Jared moved back to Canada yesterday. I ended up with all his spices, some food and a BBQ. I had to go pick up the free BBQ this morning, but was in a rush. There was construction on the main street - replacing some tram lines or something - so I biked on the sidewalk. As I looked up, a cop was waiting for me. He pulled me over and issued a fine for €30 for biking on the sidewalk. The BBQ cot €49.95. Aw well. I'll call it a small victory.

Glad I added some cash to the pockets of one of the richest countries in the world. I love Holland.

Oh Happy Day... Well, Minus The Weather.

I got my residence permit today. After a year of wrangling, deportation letters, frighteningly governmental dutch people, bills to pay and crying, it arrived. I am legal. Till Sept 1st. Then I'll renew.. and it begins.

Rain, Rain, Rain.

I love The Rheostatics. That is all.

Well, actually I will write more, as this week is busy and this blog is not on my to-do pile, well, not at the top at least. It continues to rain, every single day. Thankfully there was a three-hour break which allowed us to play baseball. We won, beating the last place team http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif13-7 or something like that, bringing us into second. We play the best team next week at home; gonna be a doozy. For more info, visit our home on the web HERE.

A lot of people are leaving, moving away this week. Already I've lost four people, and two more leave this week. I guess that's life living internationally. People come in and out of your life more than usual, and friends come and go; the true friends are those who you keep in touch with, regardless of where you are. I don't have many of them, but I value every single one. People who don't travel crazy amounts enjoy stationary friendships more, obviously. There are good and bad things about traveling.

The new flat is great; come and visit it some time. My flatmates are wonderful, as it feels more like a family than a bunch of people living together. Being away so much, it's the perfect thing to come back to; a semblance of home. More trips are now being planned as well, including Aug 15-19 in Cologne, Germany and Aug 25 - Sept 6 or 7 in Toronto and surrounding areas. I have no idea when this thesis is going to write itself.

Ten more days in Amsterdam. Then, it begins again, the living out of a bag. I'll be taking ten flights in July - I am so the environmentalist - and then going intercontinental again in August. Plus, one of my best friends, the amazing Dave Osborne, is coming to visit me Aug 20-23, in b/w Germany and Canada. Gonna be a doozy.

Until then, the grind continues. and so on and so on and so on...

I also like Wintersleep.

And to end, some SHAMELESS self promotion. Three NEW Kae Sun songs are available on our MySpace. Go listen, comment and lemme know if you like them. We're taking over the world.

The work never gets finished...

Ah, nope, it never does. But thankfully, the weather here has been bipolar for a few weeks now, making it easy to stay in and do work. I was supposed to go to a party yesterday, but standing at home at 11:30PM having been rained on 3 times already in the day made me stay home. I slept well. It's nice to sleep to the pitter-patter of rain.

Ten more days in Amsterdam before I am off on the road again. I'll be all over the place in July, I mean ALL over the place, and I'm not complaining. Shall be tiring though, and by months end will be yearning for my own bed and coffee pot. July 5 - 31 is the time I am away.

So apparently it is monsoon season here. Like literal mon-fucking-soon season. So it rains really, really hard, for fifteen minutes, then gets sunny and repeats the process several times a day until you've given up on predicting or beating the weather. Been fun.

The trials of my life the last week have revolved around my bike. My back tire cracked in half, like the metal part, and it needed to be replaced. Not to mention the €60 cost to do this, it has taken nearly a week for the place to fix it. I finally went in yesterday and demanded the bike, and they gave me a loaner - with no brakes or accelerating power. Biking home last night after seeing Ted Leo at the Paradiso was fun. It was pouring, I had one hand on the bike and the on an umbrella shielding myself, praying I didn't need to stop suddenly. It was more than fine.

So next week I'm seeing a bunch of shows. You Say Party, We Say Die! Joan as Policewoman and Dinosaur Jr., all in three days and all for reviews. DiS is putting me to work, which is good. Being the only 'employed' writer not based in the London office makes me feel a bit out of touch, so I want to write as much as possible.

Baseball tomorrow - if it doesn't rain.. again. fuck this weather.

Quick Update...

My adoring fans would hate me if I didn't update this every now and again, right? I wish I had something interesting to tell you, an anecdote or funny thing that happened to me, but alas, no. I do like the word 'alas.' It is so Dickensian. Fun.

I've been giving tours of Amsterdam in my spare time for a company linked HERE. I've been making good money on these tours, and telling people lots of stories along the way. I know a shitload about this city now... not as much as other guides, but enough to bullshit my way through a three-hour walking tour. Come on one with me if you want.

My bike is also broken. Really, really broken. It needs to be fixed. The back tire not only moving like a wheel, but also side-to-side, as the spokes are loose and my gears are broken. Its an expensive fix. Thank god for tour guiding.

A long week...

I haven't had much time update, because I have been busier than Paris Hilton's parole counselor. zing. Oh topical humour. It's a lark. But I digress. I am sitting here in my new flat, watching the weather change every ten minutes from sun to downpour and back trying to catch up on some work. I moved on Tuesday. What fun that was. or was it Wednesday.

Well, when I arrived back from Canada, sans-sleep, I had a quick brekkie at the only cafe that was open at 8AM, loaded all my stuff into a cab and headed to my new place, on the other end of town. I live in Amsterdam East, or Oost as the Dutch call it, and all my other places have been in the West or South. This place is great though, albiet tough to describe. I live in the attic, but the rest of the flat is on the second floor, so I have to bypass another apt altogether to get to the bathroom and kitchen. It's more than fine, and my flatmates, both asleep beside me right now, are fantastic. I feel adopted into a little family, and I'm not sure if they read this, but I hope they feel the same way.

Things are busy as all hell with work. In addition to writing papers, or faking the writing of papers, I am booking a tour for Kae Sun, organizing an album release dealing with shitloads of legalese, writing for DrownedinSound - well, not that much cause Mike does everything - and trying to have some semblance of a social life. It's good fun. Today I took a break and went food shopping, one of the many things I have to do to fully 'move in' to this place. I went to a few Turkish places, got all sorts of fun things, like Plantains and Pumpkin and delicious things like that... dinner is planned tonite. I'm going to make pumpkin soup; or at least try.

Lots of things on tap until July 5, when I leave Amsterdam again for a few weeks. I am back in Holland for a few days, including July 12 to go to North Sea Jazz, before leaving from July 13 - 31. I'm going all over, and will update the blog. Until then, I have to make soup and forget how behind I am on my work.

much love.

My Primavera Sound Review along with Mike Diver and Kev Kharas...

http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/2061026

enjoy
Shain

Been a while...

I can't believe Professor Robert Hamilton, probably the sole person responsible for my move to Holland reads my blog. I am amazed at the amount of people who actually read this verbal bullshit I spew. Really. I feel horrible for not updating it all that often, nor reading much of anyone else's blog. I mean well, but I'm super busy and lack proper internet access sometimes on my travels. Well, here goes with another blog entry, and I promise it to be a doozy, as I'll explain my week covering Primavera Sound in Barcelona.

Low cost airlines have the craziest flight times. I was due to arrive in Barcelona at 12AM on WED May 30, or early THR morning, whichever suits your fancy. We were twenty minutes late, so I arrived around 12:30AM. I met a lovely Greek girl on the plane who lives in Barcelona, and she helped me take the night airport bus into Catalunya Square, where I took the N11 bus to the last stop to meet my friend who lives in Badalona, which is way the fuck in the suburbs. What he didn't know is that the last stop changed, and I was taken up this mountain and dropped off at a hospital, alone, at 3AM. I called him laughing, and he couldn't believe where I was. I walked in, asked for a cab and took a €10 ride back down this black mountain to his house, where he was standing outside in hysterics. I passed out immediately.

Another guy was staying at his house, Chabby from Austria, and I spent much of the next day with him until I was to meet up with Mike and Kev from DiS to begin our Primavera coverage. We went shopping in the morning, explored Badalona and then took the Rodales city train into Catalunya and floated around the old town, stopping for a Durum Kebab. We strolled down La Ramblas, got some juice at the Boquiera market and went to the beach. It was nice.

Around 5PM I headed off on the metro to Selva De Mar to meet Mike and Kev. We had a few beers and strolled to the Forum, where the festival was. I then waited in line for two fucking hours to get my ticket, as we picked the wrong line to wait in and the pace was slow. It all ended well, I had my ticket, and we spent the rest of the night drinking, seeing live music and floating around the festival site. That continued for four days.

I met up with a fellow writer, Claire, who lived much closer than Badalona from the festiva (even though I found out Badalona was the next suburb over) and I went back to hers at 8AM it seemed and fell asleep. She has to go to work the next morning so I was back out, exploring Barcelona.

I had to move house that day, from Badalona to the centre, so I meandered through trains and subways and four hours later I was in the centre at my new couch surfing home, Nick. His place was fantastic, and he proved a gracious host. Then I was back to Primavera for another night.

At Primavera there was a seperate area specifically for press that had free booze, sponsored by Estrella Dam and Red Bull. The thing was, the area (which we called the island at that is pretty much what it was) was only audible to the main stage and was restricted, so we couldn't bring beer out. That meant a lot of hanging out on the island, including seeing The Smashing Pumpkins, the Fall, Sonic Youth, Patti Smith, Wilco and Maximo Park, among many others. The festival itself was great, tons and tons of music, average food, 5 stages, a music bazaar... Saw many a bands, in which will be published tomorrow, so I won't talk much about it. I will say that the venue was a concrete wasteland, quite postmodern, right on the sea, so a few stages actually backed onto the sea. It was beautiful and ugly at once, and there was a nice breeze filled with saltwater that made my glasses foggy. They also had tons of handicapped porty-potteys, so I peed pretty for four days. I hate those open urinals.. just not for me.

Saturday involved some beach time. I went to the beach near Mike and Kev's hotel, which happened to be a nude beach. Ah, when in roam right... It was a bit odd being completely surrounded by naked people, but it felt kinda free and in some ways, right. It was like people weren't hiding who they were, at all... Forty minutes of naked sun-burning and I was spent.

Back to the hotel and back to the festival on Saturday, which ended extremely late, so Sunday was a late day. I did a bit of sightseeing - but I reserved much of that for Monday - and had a fantastic dinner with Nick and his friends, in which I cooked up a storm. I made daal (thanks Alan), basmati rice, stuffed tomatoes with Okra and drinks and appetizers. Dessert was provided by two amazing French girls and some kickass chocolate, and we drank like freshman. It was truly an amazing experience, one I'll remember for a long time, and one I thank Nick for. After that, I went to see Malajube and Of Montreal at the Apolo, which for a lack of a better word, was AMAZING.

On Monday I went to Parc Guell, which is a park designed by Gaudi. It was glorious. Then I met another friend (Katie) and strolled around Gracia, her area. We had beer, got soccer balls kick at us by rowdy kids and ate falafel and gelato. well I had gelato. After that it was a lovely dinner with my friend Nick and bed, before I headed off to the airport for a 6AM flight.

Yesterday I flew back to AMS, went home for an hour, moved some stuff into a storage room and then flew to Toronto. NXNE and Joe's wedding in tomorrow. lots of work to do this weekend. more updating later. here are a few pics :)

Busy Busy Busy..

This will be the last blog update for a while, as I am swamped this weekend and early next week, leading up to my trip to Barcelona on WED night. I have lots of work, in addition me moving on TUE to a new flat in Amsterdam. Again. I'm downsizing for the summer, as I don't need a luxurious place when I'm rarely around to live in it. At least that's the thought.

Lastly, I want to say how much good music I've been privy to this week. I saw Antibalas and Hanne Hukkelberg last week, and followed that with Andrew Bird and K-Os, in which my friend Ben plays bass, last night. Primavera Sound is kickass too, which will be a fun work/vacation.

till later.

Home,

I am staring at flowers that were given to me and are now dying. They are on my kitchen table; I got them a week ago, so them dying isn't a metaphor or anything, just life. I don't feel this blog post has to be about anything in particular. I'm just wasting 10 minutes before I have to run off, and I thought a bunch of useless ramblings would be fun to jot down.

Nothing much is happening here. I'm off to Barcelona for work next week, and then back to Canada for a week for Joe's wedding, one of my closest friends. He's a year older than me and getting married; I guess I'm getting old. Plus other friends have already gotten married, had kids, all that jazz. More feeling old. Work is progressing. The new Kae Sun album is done. If you want, we posted two songs at our Sonicbids page, "Stay Up" and "Where Did Everybody Go." Both are political songs, to a different extent, and if you like them, lemme know :)

It's been gloomy today, as it was yesterday. Typical Dutch weather, I guess. I see Dutch weather and Dutch food in the same light. They are both white, grey or yellow, don't do much for the soul and aren't worth writing home about. Minus stroopwafels of course, and suikerwafels.

More Later...

International Life...

This week especially, I feel international. Yesterday I had coffee with two Turkish girls from Couch Surfing, and dinner and a tour of Alkmaar from a Fijian, with promises that she's bringing her friend from Nepal around next time. Today I have drinks with my new flatmates, who are from Portugal and Greece. Tonite I'm seeing Antibalas, a band from Brooklyn, with a British couple, my Canadian friend and my Trinidadian flatmate. Wow, I feel insignificant. Being Canadian feels so boring.

Shain

VNO-NCW Conference,

Today I stood up in front of about 800 people at the VNO-NCW West Business Conference in Holland and told a bunch of big wigs how flawed their immigration system is. To add some context, I was added as a guest speaker along with two other students to this business conference, which is essentially aimed at making Amsterdam more internationally friendly for corporations. The VNO-NCW is the chamber of commerce, and this was their big gala ceremony. The CEO of Siemens, a great guy mind you, asked me a bunch of questions, and we decided it would be best to lambaste the IND (immigration and naturalisation dept) for treating me like a criminal. The Dutch immigration system, like most European countries, is fundamentally flawed, which has caused a whole mess of issues, including me going through hell for a residence permit.

Plus, a lot of student friends who graduate with a 1 year MA from UvA leave and go home. Why the hell would the Dutch want that? Wouldn't the business want to keep the knowledge here, where it was fostered? Wouldn't it be good for the country to employ smart, tax paying expats who excel in specialized positions? I think so, and therefore decided to make my voice heard in front of some important people, including the CEO's on ABN AMRO, KPMG Europe, ING and the vice-mayor of Amsterdam.

It's funny. Everyone agreed with me. Thanked me even. Yet, I have no faith the system will change in my lifetime, even though these powerful folks have the means to do so. This is an amazing country, with a troubled integration policy. Canada is the same in many respects.

I also discovered, thanks to my lovely friend Nina, that when you eat asparagus, your urine smells. She pointed it out to me at the best possible time, right in the middle of a delicious Dutch style asparagus gratin with Gouda. At least the dessert was brilliant - aardbei (strawberries) with slagroom (whipped cream) and hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles). Plus an open bar.

A very open bar. sweet.

Work...

I have a shitload of work to do tonite. So much so it is worthy of the description 'shitload.' It's nothing out of the ordinary, but it does seem like there is more tonite. Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif is a busy month for Uni in Holland, and so on and so on and so on.

I lost my baseball game today. We deserved to lose. For those interested parties, visit My Club's Site to learn about us. Most of the info is in Dutch, but you'll get it. Now I'm home telling myself I shouldn't be updating my blog. I should be working.

On a side note, I've been spending a good amount of time this week with my friends Patrick Watson. They are a great band from Montreal, and I've seen them twice in Amsterdam and once in Utrecht this week, with one more show tomorrow when they open for Interpol. They are a brilliant band and brilliant guys, so if you like Coldplay, Jeff Buckley or Devandra Banhart, check out Patrick Watson.

I updated my journalism website as well.. Go read my work HERE.

ta-da.

Quick Story...

I was on the Amsterdam metro yesterday - yes, Amsterdam has a subway - and I was running for a train, which I thought I was going to miss. As I was running, my cell phone leaped out of my pocket, seemingly on its own, and right onto the train tracks. Then the phone rang.

So I stared, contemplating how to get my phone back. I ended up calling over someone working at the Amsterdam metro who called ahead, stopped all the trains and then got a technician to go onto the tracks and get my phone. It was a bit scratched up, I was a bit embarrassed, but a good laugh was had by all, in Dutch and English.

I'm an idiot sometimes.

Please Lord, Not The Bees...

It seems each time I update this, I am in a different country, or on top of a different country. This time I am in Toronto. Been busy with Kae Sun.

Today I came to the conclusion that this world is full of idiots, and there is no hope. I'm not sure if anyone is familiar with the plight of the honeybee, but there are some serious issues right now concerning a massive, unexplained drop in honeybee populations, and there is very little news about it. If we have no honeybees, then nothing, or very little will pollinate the flowers. Then the flowers die. Then we're screwed. This world is really going down the road feeling bad, and we're completely oblivious. One third of the food we eat is dependent on the honeybee population. ONE-THIRD! I'm worried.

To educate:

Great All Around Article.. A Bit Long, but Worth It

Article About Problem

Wikipedia Explanation

Associated Press

A blog entry whilst writing on the airplane…another airplane.

I spent a whole week at home in Amsterdam. It was lovely. The weather was perfect, so perfect we are beginning to wonder if the end of the world is coming and the forces that be are simply placating us with sun before they turn the switch off. I actually sunned, and felt it afterwards. My friend Meghan from Geneva/Canada came to visit for the weekend, staying until today. She was still there when I left this morning. We spent much of the weekend enjoying the gorgeous weather, sitting in the Westerpark, drinking, staging dinner parties and then leftover dinner parties, and catching up.

The reason she came, well other than to see me of course, was for Konningnedag, or in English, Queen’s Day. Queen’s Day is Queen Juliana, grandmother of the current Queen, Beatrix’ birthday. It is a celebration that began after the war and has turned into a country-wide flea market meets all-day and night party, one tough to describe. It was plainly insane. It lacked sense, this party, but it was fun. Super fun. Much of the rest of the post will concern itself with describing my Queens Day, the first ever in the Netherlands and certainly not the last. This was so much fun; just a brilliant, energetic, smiling time. I wish every Monday was like this.

For Konningennach, or Queen’s Night, a friend of mine baseball and others joined us for pre-drinking at my place before setting off into town. We just walked, passing many DJ and drinking tents along the grachts (canals) before settling for a beer in Leidseplein. The canals were packed with people; it was almost impossible to move in certain places, and everyone was dancing, drinking, partying, enjoying each other’s company. This continued until about 5AM, as we kept pounding back the liquids to stay hydrated before stumbling home. I left before Meghan and the guys, and I passed out just before 5. The next morning we awoke at the crack of noon and had lunch, put on our shiniest orange shirts and went into town to enjoy Queen’s Day.

It was gorgeous; sunny, bright, lovely, and there was a shitload of people everywhere. Apparently the population of Amsterdam doubles on Queen’s Day, and it surely was noticeable. We passed by a party in the Jordaan, well, several parties and made it all the way to Rembrandtplein, one of the big squares. There were thousands upon thousands of people dancing to DJs and hip-hip from a big stage in the square, drinking and just going crazy. I couldn’t move. It was insane. After some time there, I walked back home (about 90 minutes of Queen’s Day) and met up with Renee to explore the Jordaan. This is where it got even crazier.

I found a toy sword on the ground, one from the Thundercats cartoon show. I went home and put batteries in it, and it worked. Lit up and made a sound. We grabbed some beers, found a tent playing trance and started dancing with the sword. The sword was quite popular. I made quite a few friends flashing it around. One women even picked up a pair of panties from the ground and use the sword as the base for a slingshot, flinging the panties in the air of the crowd. This proceeded to ignite a gigantic clothing fight in the stage, as jeans, pants, shirts and jackets were flung between hundreds of people like glowsticks, followed by flowers and socks. It was, once again, beyond comprehension. I’m in the middle of a street I bike down everyday, listening to a world-class DJ and dancing with a few thousand drunken Dutch. And everyone is wearing orange. Meghan took pictures.

It didn’t end there. After the clothing fight, an old woman who owned a flat next to the crowd opened up the window and started throwing rolls of toilet paper at everyone. More drinking ensued, and by 5PM, the day became a blur. Yet, as the dancing continued, a man came up to me and claimed I found his sword, bought for his kid, and asked for it back. He made a convincing enough case, and not caring too much, I gave him back the sword and he bought Renee and I a bunch of beers.

I know this doesn’t make much sense; I wish it did, but Queen’s Day doesn’t make a lot of sense. A gigantic flea market; everyone was selling everything, absolutely everything, combined with a city-wide street party. Hundreds of tents sprung across the city with bands, DJs, comedy, beer Olympics. And all this in orange.

I went home for a minute as Renee had a dinner date, and met up with another friend Macauley and Meghan again and had crappy Mexican food in the Leidseplein. Then 11:30PM reared its hungover head and we biked home exhausted, confused, thrilled and smiling.

Now I am sitting in a plane going back to Canada. I ended up sitting next to a woman and a young kid sharing one seat, and this kid was perspicacious, so thankfully I was moved to the back of the plane, next to an elderly couple. I am Toronto for a week; lots to do, some shitty things and some nice things, and lots to think about. Things get tough once I get back to the Netherlands, in many ways. I have a lot to think about, which is good, because if I didn’t, I would be bored.

My 150th Post,

that is a lot. Seriously; think that I have updated this useless piece of interweb 150 times. It makes me gasp, to be honest. Well, I am sitting here at my home in Amsterdam, at 3AM, slightly intoxicated and wondering why I am updating this thing. Today I was biking to a friend's party and there was a couple walking directly in the middle of the bike lane. I rang my bell a few times, and then whilst biking around them, I yelled 'it's a bike lane, idiots' in a sarcastic tone. I didn't realize how much of an asshole I've become at times when riding my bike in Amsterdam, and this experience reminded me of that. Wow, I could have been polite, but no; I was not pragmatic, I did not assume they came from a different culture (like me a while back) and didn't now. I just yelled at them. I'm a dick. I'm guessing my friend Eamon would have done the same when living in Holland, and he is not a dick, so it makes me feel better.

Major changes in my life coming up in the next few weeks. I am torn between accepting something that is right for all the wrong reasons, and figuring how how to make it right despite the reasons. I am also going home on TUES for a week, for the Alli's Journey concert, a big gala in honour of my sister, the light of my life. Furthermore, other things are happening, but they will remain clandestine until I figure them out more. This summmer is looking to be extremely entertaining in some respects, and boring in others. I'm looking to save money, work on my thesis and stay in Amsterdam. sounds like a party.

Queens Day is one MON. If you haven't heard of it, here. It's gonna be a PAR-TAY.

Back in Amsterdam,

I realize that the busier I get, the less time I have to try and update this damn thing. I really hope people read it, because I am putting actual time and effort into updating it; this time especially. It's late, I'm pooped and spent the day on the road as per usual. I found out that there is a bus strike in Eindhoven, and ended up sharing a cab with four quick lovely Dutch people, and one guy who had no idea where he was. He kept asking if we were in Eindhoven.. funny.

The travelling was fairly smooth. Tube to Liverpool St -> train to Stansted -> flight to Eindhoven -> cab to eindhoven centraal -> train to amsterdam centraal -> walk home = six hours. I updated my datebook. fun.

London was, well, London. I spent some time with Jordan and Lisa, ruined a very expensive towel of theirs, felt bad and bought Lisa flowers, went to work a bunch of times which was great, saw some excellent shows including the Camden Crawl with my friend Nate and ate some good Thai and Veitnamese Food. I also spent way, way too much money, as per usual. Yet, I do love London. I'm still torn b/w it and Amsterdam. I like Amsterdam more, but London is where the work is; and the english speaking girls. just kidding.

more later.

What a Day!

It's worth explaining.. well, not in depth, but well enough for everyone to enjoy the foibles I experienced. After having breakfast with Renee, I boarded a train from Amsterdam -> Den Haag. Unfortunately, the switched the track on us last minute, and we had to bolt it (a few people and myself) to catch the train. The day started well. I went to this award ceremony at a museum in Den Haag, as I was to receive an award for getting this scholarship last year. I won't go into details, but for the most part, the ceremony was a formality. I got out of Den Haag Centraal and boarded the wrong tram, going 7 stops out of my way before realizing I was an idiot. I got out - in a nice area mind you - crossed the street and got on the right tram, and 18 stops later and 30 minutes late I was at the ceremony. I stayed for an hour or so, because I had to leave the catch the train to Eindhoven for my flight to London. I wish I could have stayed. Lots of really smart people and a great networking opportunity. Ah well.

So I took a packed train to Utrecht - sitting on the floor - to transfer to Eindhoven. That's where the real fun began. The train I was scheduled to take never showed up, the next one stopped at the station and never started again, and forty-five minutes later I was on another packed train, this time standing in the middle of the carriage, praying that I wouldn't miss my flight. Thankfully I met a really nice Dutch guy from Den Bosch who calmed me down, and fifty minutes later, I was in Eindhoven, pissed off, tired and hungry.

I ran from the train, down the stairs and out to the exit and hailed a cab. I begged him to take me for €20 to the airport, which he did, and he high-tailed it, even parking on the sidewalk at the airport to give me a better chance to make the check-in. As I was running to the check-in, the sign switched from 'open' to 'closed.' I ran up, threw my bag down and begged, again, for them to let me on, and they did. I sat through security, was the last person on the packed Ryanair flight and passed out, awakening forty minutes in London.

After a forty-six minute train ride from Stansted and another thirty on the tube, I made it back to my brother's, and I'm here now writing this, pooped while my friends are partying at the Camden Crawl, a big music festival down the road. I'm going tomorrow.

A While,

It has been a while since I updated, and to be honest, I do not have much to report. I'm swamped in work, back in Amsterdam now but off to Den Haag, Eindhoven and finally London tomorrow. back Tuesday for more work and then Queens Day celebrations. Hope everyone is well. More updates soon.

In Canada.

I am back in Canada for a few days. I'm learning that when one moves away permanently, they usually only find time to come home in tragic circumstances, which heighten the emotional tone of the whole visit. Plus the weather sucks.

I often wonder if there is a human being out there that is truly organized. In every way. I am reasonably organized, but no where near to the point I wish I was. I rarely (almost never) miss a deadline, but I know I could make much better use of my time. I use my time poorly, especially when I am super busy. Maybe it's just a rough day. I'll chalk it up to that today, as I've been up for 4 hours and done nothing and it's 9:35AM. I had aspirations to be somewhat productive. Ah well.

At least I'm still in good health. That's all that's important anyways.

RIP Kurt and Ruth

Been a While..


I am sorry that I haven't updated in a while, if anyone even reads these useless ramblings in the first place. I had an eventful weekend in Amsterdam, both in the positive and negative sense. My family came for a visit, which is beyond rare, and we had a lovely time traversing Amsterdam and parts of the Netherlands, as one day we rented a car and went to the sea, Delft, Marken, and other tourist hotspots. Even made it to Keukenhof, which is a massive flower garden in Lisse, Holland. It wasn't cheap, but it is a must for anyone who likes flowers and tourists.

On a sad note, my grandmother, an amazing woman of ninety years, is currently on life support and not looking positive. She has led a storied life and has fought back from death a few times, but this time does not look positive. She is my last living grandparent, and I will be going home for the funeral, if one occurs shortly. Yet, I have to be back in Holland by the weekend, so if she loses the battle, I'll be flying 8 hours each way for a 48 hours visit. Life sucks sometimes, as my brother wrote on his blog.

Saying that, all is as good as it can be. My mom is on a flight home to Canada after loving Amsterdam, and I am catching up on a ton of work. Kae Sun is going back on the road shortly, and we're slowly preparing for that. I can't wait to see K, Steve, Mike, Paul and Fraser again.. oh, and Kojo of course. Love Kojo.

be happy.

Shain

Fuck Tagged,

No one sign up to tagged.com. I got an invite from my friend Gail, pressed OK and suddenly it sent out an email to all 2600 contacts in my gmail system, asking them to join. Now I'm being swamped in emails from important people asking me what the hell this is. God, what a major annoyance; just what I needed. Ah well. Could be worse.

April,

Another gorgeous day. I'm beginning to expect them. I'm an idiot. Just a series of anomalies. It's also my father's birthday today, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! Nothing much to report. My week off is over, which culminated in my baseball team thoroughly thumping a rival 21 - 1 yesterday (I went 3 for 4 with a run) and us gettig stuck on the canal in a friend's boat whose motor went the way of old yeller. It was flooded, so eventually it started and got us to a dock where we hopped out.

April should be good. My family is coming on Thursday. Easter. Oh, Happy Passover to all the Jews.

Not as nice weather wise,

Can't have them all. I was sitting in Vondelpark yesterday realizing how lucky I am to be living the life I'm living. All things considered of course. It was sunny, gorgeous even, there were lovely looking people everywhere, I could smell a BBQ in the distance and I had a pint in my hand, chatting with one of my closest friends. Alli is doing her job.

Moving...


I wish I could explain how we moved two couches through our second story window last night. I took some pictures before we did what we did; but when we were actually doing it, I was busy trying not to have a couch fall on my head that was suspending two stories off the ground on a rope.

So here is how we did it. We strung a pully from a hook that sits on the top of our building's facade, essentially. Yet, we realized that when the facade was renovated (it is a 300 year old building), the window in the facade was not big enough and our couch wont fit. So, what we did was walk the couch up one flight of stairs to our neighbours living room. We strung it out on their balcony and then pullied up the couch, literally, up to our flat one story from their balcony. We tied a net under the couch to harness it and suspended it 15 feet in the air with two ropes, while we used our muster to pull it up. I was guiding the couch so it wouldn't break a window. It was something else. We have a nice couch set now and I feel like A REAL AMSTERDAMMER.

So I'm moved in now. Still boxes awash our living room, but we've made a stark improvement since last week, and it is really looking like home. This weekend was LONG. On Saturday we went to my flatmate's storage locker late at 9:30 realizing the the compound closes and locks us in while calling the cops to arrest us at 11. We made a mad dash for his stuff and got out at 10:58PM. haha. Then we spent 4 grueling hours at IKEA and then another 2 at his locker on Sunday before pullying the couch up. I missed work and baseball, but now I have a flat to call home. I'm super lucky, cause this place is brilliant.

I have baseball tonite. Practice at our home field, which is way in the outskirts of amsterdam. It is about 50 minutes from me by bike, but I'll take the tram. Excited for Brady/Lori this weekend and my family the next weekend. My mom is never gonna make it up my stairs to see the flat though. They are 90 degrees up; you're faced with them when you walk in, eye to eye. I guess I'll need another rope and pully.

140th Post...

Things are slowly picking up, as spring has come... well, everywhere but Amsterdam. We did not have much of a winter though, so I guess we had it coming. But enough weather talk; that's what you talk about when you don't want to reveal anything about yourself.

It's been quite hectic lately, but now is half term at school so I'm catching up on much needed odds and ends. I've had several visitors as of late, bunched around the wonderful Jam in the Dam festival, and with Brady/Lori and my family coming in the next few weeks, getting shit done is paramount.

I wish I had something interesting to tell you. I'm seeing I'm From Barcelona tomorrow, and I have developed a new Saturday ritual; going to Noordermarkt, which is a great open market down the street and buying 3 bunches of Tulips for €5 and stringing them around the house in makeshift pint glass/vases. Makes me feel less like a student.

Much Love.

This Weekend,

This has been one of the best weekends I've had in months. I simply forgot about everything that mattered, just for a few days and celebrated life with some good friends. I'm one lucky duck. Speaking of duck, I roasted one on Friday for an amazing dinner party I threw with my friend Jared. I didn't eat it, of course, but it was a hit; a bitch to carve, but worth it apparently.

The downside is I spent WAY too much money. Ah well, Aldi it is.

I'm old. nuff said.

Older..

I'm getting older tomorrow.. Yup, that ambiguous biological clock that allows people to celebrate your sheer existence for one day a year is approaching. I am 24 tomorrow. I feel I have not accomplished enough for 24, but I'm confident all is improving. 24 will be good, methinks

But on another more interesting note, I went to Ikea on Wednesday. Boy, what fun! Note my sarcasm. Ikea is in the Zuidoost (southeast) of Amsterdam, a place you only go if you absolutely have to. I bought a rug and a duvet and some nice this and thats, making my new home more, well, home. We get a new sofa and a big rug this weekend, and I get a wardrobe, meaning I can stop living out of a bag.

This sunday begins Jam in the Dam, a wonderful music festival that I helped work on in its inception, two years ago. Had a great dinner with the man responsible for it yesterday, and will be living the life for three soaks soaking up the rain with the jamband world elite.. haha. elite.. makes me laugh. Van Morrison is also on Saturday. Fuck ya. what a weekend.. Plus Matt and Rich from the UK are visiting. smiles abound :)

Another Quick Post Before I Go To Bed;

Good Vibes first and foremost for a loved one of mine that is currently sick and in hospital. I hate both the former and the latter, and good vibes are important.. so.. there.

I am settling in quite nicely. The flat is slowly coming together. We gave it a good once over today including scrubbing the floors and windows, and need to get some more furniture and organize accordingly before it is truly home. I got a duvet cover and a rug from Ikea, as well as an iron and a coffee maker, so I'm making headway. It's not cheap, but I think I've spent the brunt of it and it's all downhill from here. I live in the best neighbourhood in Amsterdam. It's fucking brilliant. As hip as the Annex (for the Toronto folks), but also sophisticated and old. A perfect mix of old and new. The only thing is, the stairs coming up to my flat are 90 degrees straight, like a ladder. It's a bit of a pain.

I'll post pictures soon.. once there is something to show.

xx

Home Sweet Fucking Home:

I moved. This is my third place since I moved to Amsterdam, and I have great vibes concerning it. It is much closer to the centre than my other places; well, it actually is in the centre! It is on a fantastic, hip, cooler-than-thou street in the northwest called Haarlemmerstraat (look it up if you want) beside Amsterdam's prettiest canal, Brouwersgracht. The flat is quite modern, cozy and hip. It is built on two stories, with super dangerous stairs connecting them. I also have a rooftop terrace big enough for any BBQ. Plus, the flat is within my price range. Lots to do on the flat though, making it home and all that, so I will post pictures in a week or two when I'm truly settled. I dont have a wardrobe yet, so my shit is still on the floor. I get that on Monday.

good news :)

Quick post...


Looking for a new flat still... May have found something soon.. Will be happy if so happens. But on another note; Do you know what I did today? I went into a coffee shop, Homegrown Fantasy in Amsterdam on Nieuwzijds Voorburgwal and did not do or order any drugs. I just like their coffee... It is possible. I was looked at funny in there, prolly because everyone else was off their rocker...

Things are okay; disorganized from moving..

I have not had time to update my blog in a while, so I am sitting in a train lounge in Berlin, with another ninety minutes to go to catch my train back to Amsterdam, so here I am, unable to steal internet and writing this in Microsoft Word. I will copy and paste this into blogger tonite when I return after my eight-hour journey back.

This has been a whirlwind week. Not a great one, I might add. I am not going to go into detailed specifics, as this is not the avenue to do so, but I know a few concerned people read this, so what the hell. First, I have been away for ten days now, and the feeling of not having a home has intensified. I am plainly tired. Since December 14th, I have been on the road over ¾ of the time. I am not complaining though; just bitching. This was my choice and I have been to some amazing places. Berlin is brilliant, for example. But I am excited to go home.

Yet, I do not have much of a home to go back to. A misunderstanding between my landlord and I have resulted in us parting ways, and I have to find a new home for April 1. Nothing horrible happened, just a difference in opinion concerning a few things. Therefore, I have placed an ad online and will begin searching again.

This happened on Tuesday, when I was in Berlin. An exchange of emails affirming our opinions led to the decision, which is welcome but annoying. Moving is expensive, time consuming and stressful. Plus, I was supposed to go to Dresden today with a friend, but have decided, at a high cost I might add, that my time would be better spent in Amsterdam right now. Saying that, I will be home for six weeks starting tonight, home being Amsterdam, and I will begin physically looking for a flat immediately. I got lucky last time, as this flat has been lovely for the short period I have lived there. I guess I will see Dresden another time. It is not below sea level, so it is probably not going anywhere anytime soon.

Work remains stressful, but such is life. Formulating business plans and work with DiS and LPL is a humdinger, but I am excited for the future. Yet, I am presently consumed with the move, and keeping whatever is it that has become of me to keep going. Hold on for a moment; I do think this post is way too melodramatic. I am fine. Berlin was wonderful, and I had a brilliant night out last night with my friend Elisa and her cousin, who plays drums in a famous German band called Silly. We went to a trendy rock club called the Sage Club and stayed out dancing till 6AM, listening to old-school German hip-hop and speed metal. Having had to get up at 10AM to checkout and now sitting in an uncomfortable lounge may explain my childish verbal aggression right now; coffee just doesn’t do it like it used to.

So there.. I am moving.. Again. But now, I can talk a bit about Berlin. I arrived Tuesday evening and spent much of the time with my friend Elisa walking around. We went to all the haunts; Alexander Platz, Potsdamer Platz, some Holocaust memorials, Reichstag, Brandenburg Tor, and Sony Plaza.. Saw a wicked movie last night as well called “Notes on a Scandal” with Judy Dench. Other than that, it has been fairly relaxing. I was going to see McCoy Tyner, but I forgot to get press passes and it was too expensive. I was supposed to carry on to Dresden with her to see her aunt, but I am way too pre-occupied and decided to buy a ticket back to Amsterdam, forfeiting my ticket on Sunday and costing me some cash. March will a transition month, most definitely.

Love you all.

Quick Update;

all is surprisingly well. Work is leading me slowly towards madness, but its keeping me busy. I'm doing a lot, both school and job stuff. I guess that's me.

Sunday night is a big night. At the SOCIAL in London, my label is being launched, featuring a performance from Prospect Lane, a band we signed from Birmingham, along with The Jubilees and We Make Friends. If you are about, it's at Oxford Circus Tube Stop and starts at 8. a measly 5 quid will get you into the festivities. Come support independent music!!!

love you all... especially the ones dreaming for themselves.

Shain

Self-Serving News:

Well, the website for my brand-new label is up and running; therefore, the label is up and running. It'll be a slow and steady process, but my partner Dominique is amazing so I'm pumped for this. Visit us either HERE or on our Myspace.

In other 'news,' my debut with Spin got published today, a short review of the Brazilian Girls last night. Check that out at this link.

Good news all around :)

Love Ya

Great Article of Climate Change!!

Read This Almanac:

Globe and Mail Climate Change Study

Raining,

It has been raining all day. Just one of those days where it doesn't stop; I biked to school in the rain, but I refuse to bike home in it too, so I'm waiting it out, using the free wifi at school. Anyway...

All is pretty much the same. I'm busy, as per usual, but the same. I found a site online where people post pictures of Cats that look like Hitler, which has been a lovely time waster, in addition to catching up on some writing work. Check out the angry "We Hate Kittlers" section on their site; too funny :) But I digress, because my organization of my life has to be flawless, or I'll never get everything done.

Another funny website I stumbled upon is the sport of Wife Carrying.

Ah the Internet.. so much useful information.

Howdy,

I am in London, even though I do not have enough time to update this, I am. I've been on the road a lot lately, as is my life, and it won't stop. I'm all over Europe in the next month, but delving into specifics is time consuming, so I'll leave it mysterious. I was in Bristol on Wednesday. I drove up to Stone Hendge, which was fucking fantastic. I'm so glad I saw it; as when I lived in the UK, I never made it down. It has also been snowing, and snow seems to shut down the United Kingdom. Trains are late, people are more insane.. all good..

I've been working a ton. Catching up on some Uni reading, working on the band, label, magazines and all that jazz and trying to find some time for a meagre social life. I am excited to go home on Sunday and sleep in my own bed, still coatless, but my own bed. Not that I sleep with a coat on, but the coat thing still perturbs me. I hope the thief is warm and stylish.

Big night on FEBRUARY 25TH. The label I work with, Last Press Label, is being launched in London and a bunch of our bands are playing. It's at the Social in Soho, so if you're in town, please come and support independent music and music management. It should be one heck of a party. Other than that, same shit, different day, different city. My bag smells like Risotto, as a bag of it ripped in transport. It's somewhat soothing.

My comment ratio has shrunk considerably. I haven't gotten one in 2007 yet. Ah well. I guess interest in my blog and therefore my life is waning.. just kidding.

I had my coat stolen on Saturday, or at least that is the conclusion I've come to. I put it somewhere in a club (first mistake: going to a club) and after returning an hour later to the space, it was gone. I looked all over and couldn't find it. I had to bike home in the freezing cold, minus bike lights (in the coat), gloves and scarf and gum. Thankfully nothing of value minus the aforementioned was in the coat, and I bought it for €20 in London anywho. No biggie. The principle bothers me more. I hope to see someone walking down the street in Amsterdam wearing my coat, so I can harangue their unbridled stupidity and lack of humanity. People are messed up sometimes. I'm off to replace what I lost today (bike lights, gloves, scarf, jacket) as well as go to my first class. yee-hoo!

What a lovely day!

It has been sunny and gorgeous all day, which is an anomaly in Amsterdam. The sun comes out sporadically, usually between clouds and only for a few minutes; today it has been glorious. Welcome global warming. As long as Amsterdam doesn't sink, I can get used to this in February. I'm no idiot; I know this is erratic and horrible, but nice weather is nice weather.

I took advantage of the brightening up today. I had to vacate my house between 11AM and 1PM today, as my new landlord has meditation and yoga classes, so I took my Museumcaart (year pass to every museum in Holland) and went to both the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum. I've never been to the latter, well the part that is open, and both were fantastic. I felt like a tourist.

I then found a quaint cafe for lunch and coffee, and have returned home to work, which so far has been relatively productive. I'm going to the Albert Cuyp Markt with Jared in about 45 minutes as well. It's the largest outdoor market in the Benelux and in this weather, will be fantastic. These are days I know Alli is with me.

My 125th Post...

Back home in Amsterdam, and the entire city has erupted with construction. I don't know if erupted is the right word, but Pierce Brosnan's horrible 'Dante's Peak' is on my mind for some reason, so I shall use it. Anywho, there was a hurricane-like storm here two weeks ago, fucking up the entire city's water system, essentially. That means in addition to building a subway, they are tearing up streets to fix the levees and protect the city from the inevitable. That means both of my major routes to school are cut off completely, and it now takes me much longer because I have to weave through side streets and down back alleys to get into the centre, instead of going straight through a park, because half the park is closed. What a welcoming surprise.

I have a whole whack of work to do. It never stops. At least now I'm home and I don't have to leave my flat all day. Pajama day it is, starting now.