Recap...

This is not going to be nearly as long as it should be, because my last week has been quite insane, but here goes. I did write a 3000+ word review of the festival which will be up on JamBase next week, so I'll post it when it does. I'll also post links to my picture page and my friend Dominique's, so one can get a 'feel' of some sorts as to the beauty of Iceland.

Firstly, I will be back next year, if all is well. One cannot predict tomorrow, let alone next year. I met some life-long friends, had a blast and see no reason not to return. Iceland is just such a breathtakingly unique place; one that will be visited countless times in the future, if all is well.

While most of the weekend was spent seeing music and floating around Reykjavik, I did get outside the city twice; once to the famous Blue Lagoon hot spring/spa and the other to the Golden Circle, a triage of tourist spots that famously dot Reykjavik's surrounding areas. The three include the site of the world's first parliament, a geyser and a crazy-ass waterfall. Everything was larger than life.

I saw the Northern Lights as well, as I had proclaimed last week. There were so many moment I truly felt refreshed, invigorated, exceptionally creative and at the top of the world. It was cathartic. I believe somewhere in the glaciers of the country, Alli is having the time of her afterlife. She would have loved it.

Band wise, the festival was top-notch, both locally and internationally. We saw music from 5PM - 3AM straight each day, really only stopping for dinner. I was sick the entire week, and I couldn't care less. I partied till the sun came up, because that is what you do in Reykjavik on weekend. Their was still a queue at 7AM when I left a bar once. It was surreal. truly surreal.

Now I am in London, and London has been lovely. I spent a day fiddling about with my friend Shirin, saw some shows (Panic at the Disco and Shady Bard), spent some time with my brother and friends Eamon, Brady and Jerry and got a lot of work done... Meetings, Meetings, Meetings...

Now I am leading three simultaneous lives (music, writing and school - importance in reverse order with the latter two equal), busy as a beaver and generally happy. The worst summer of my life has at least pushed some karma towards a brighter fall. The weather isnt horrible either.

Dominique's Pics
My Pics

Back in London,

I need to write up a lengthy report on Iceland, but I have a lengthy report on Iceland due for JamBase ASAP, and I am no where near complete. It is extremely difficult summing up six days of debauchery in 4000 words, especially when you can't recount every single moment. One thing I do know is I met some wonderful people, had a blast and throughout this week, hope to slowly but surely update my blog in order to really provide the best recap, in as informal a manner as possible, as to what happened in Iceland. Right now it is pouring here in London, I am sitting in my brother's attic pondering the best method to write this article. I guess it's time for an intellectual purge, or whatever comes from it.

More pictures at www.shainhouse.myphotoalbum.com as well...

love ya

I love Iceland...

I saw the NORTHERN LIGHTS yesterday; it was one of the most mesmerizing moments of my life. That is all for now. God I am in love with this country and its people.

MORE PICTURES HERE!

Hangover Morning,

I didn't drink a sip last night and I feel hungover. My lips are chapped because of the cold (walked home in about -20 windchill last night), too.

Yesterday was something else. I started the day walking around Reykjavik, taking pictures. I got a bunch of lovely ones, and they are stored HERE. That link is to my photo album. Then I went to see some music, starting at the 12 Tonar Music Store for Hot Club de Paris. Then after meeting some folks and hitting up an industry show, went for a not-horribly expensive dinner and then saw a bunch of music, including Mates of State, Tilly and the Wall, Hot Club de Paris, The Klaxons and a fantastic set from Metric. Ended the night checking out Germans' The Whitest Boy Alive and back to the press-only bar for some drinks. My cold finally caught up to me at 2:30AM and home I went. Thankfully this town is so small you can walk from one end to another in 20 minutes... It sure was windy, and unfortunately there were no Northern Lights, but I have a few more tries for that.

Today is up in the air and tomorrow I'm going to the Blue Lagoon. I'm seeing Islands, Wolf Parade and som Icelandic bands tonite.

Hi,

Being sick caught up with me last night and I gave up; after dinner I went straight to bed, and now that I've slept 12 hours, I feel much better, and with medication, I'm set to attack Reykjavik today. I've decided to try and se as much of this place today as I can, and then try and meet someone who wants to rent a car with me, so I can see the countryside a bit tomorrow.

There is something about this place I love... I havent put my finger on it yet though. The sun coming up at 10AM is nice; the shower smelling like a hot spring, the country growing most of their crops organically in greenhouses, the lovely people, the fact that it is NOT that cold (it's 1 degree right now)... Apparantely the population is made up of about 2% foreigners, or 10,000 people... I could live here. I think. If I'm making kronas, then its not as expensive. Plus utilities here are super cheap. My friends pay a quarter of the electricity most european countries pay. The windows are open right now.

Metric and others tonite. I'll drug myself up and make sure I'm there.

Iceland,

I am sitting here at my friend Bjarni's apartment in Reykjavik, Iceland. I have had a hell of a long day. It started at 5AM in Amsterdam and it is still continuing, as We Are Scientists are playing tonite down the street.

I like Reykjavik. It's small. Very small. Reminds me a little bit of the arctic, maybe of what Whitehoue may look like if it was invaded by the Danish. Their flat is opposite a fjord which ends at a glacier. It's gorgeous. Here are some pictures to start...

Iceland...


Well, priorities aside, I leave for Iceland tomorrow with a bit of a sore throat and plenty of excitement. I'll update with pics and info each day hopefully, so please visit if interested :)

Also, I'll be going to see Panic! At the Disco in London on 10.24 when I return... It's gonna be an eventful week... one full of life. I wish Alli was here to enjoy it with me, but in a way, I still think she is.

Technology...

I'm listening to Belle and Sebastian right now... It's amazing how soothing and comforting they can be.

Anyway, technology has certainly been kicking me in the ass lately. Here is a quick summary of my boring life...

1. My computer broke.. so I bought a brand new MacBook. It's an investment and I love it to death.
2. My external harddrive crashed and I lost about half of my music collection. I'm heartbroken, but it's just music and I can get it back. I have to send the drive back to Maxtor in Austria or something, so that's ongoing.
3. My camera broke, so I bought another one. I had my mom send me one from Canada, but it got stolen in the post. Thank god for insurance.
4. My blender, electric razor and two adaptors also crashed and have gone the way of old yeller.
5. My ipod speakers broke. Thank god my ipod is still working. I'd be screwed without it. If I lost all that music, I'd be really hurt.

So there... technology sucks. Other than that, things are hunky dory.. Researching a bit, writing a bit, applying to some new jobs as well, or trying to... I'm leaving for Iceland on Wednesday, so I have a lot to do to prepare.

peace-

The Magic...


The Magic Numbers were amazing. Easily the best club show I've seen in some time, or at least one I can remember. I went alone, didn't drink and had a blast. It was that fantastic. First show I've paid for in a while; I'm glad it was worth the 20 euros. Go see em if you can... I'm so glad I don't have to review it, I can just relish in enjoying it for the fun of it. Magical.

Today was also a fairly good day. Felt Alli was trolling along with me for much of it. Class went by fairly quickly, had a great introductory meeting with my thesis advisor and enjoyed the sun, especially when I sat and ate lunch at the edge of a canal. I love this city sometimes... It has that 'affect.'

More trouble with immigration, however, so that is bringing me down. It should be sorted on Thursday, but who the fuck knows with this country. The more horror stories I have, the more I realize they are commonplace.

8 days till Iceland...

Hello,

I have a fairly eventful few days coming up... All music related.

Last night I saw Matt Costa at the Melkweg. I really enjoyed it and wrote a review that will end up in Relix at some point. Tonight I'm going back to the same venue for The Black Keys and Blood Meridian. The company I work for, Belmont Bookings, handles the latter, so we're going for support. Tomorrow is a day-off, even though there is a festival in Assen with Ryan Adams and others. Sunday is a big day, as The Hidden Cameras, a favourite from home play with I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness and Kelley Stoltz at the Paradiso, two other artists Belmont handles. It's a night featuring Indie music. Great line-up. While the money is tight, a last-minute show was announced from The Magic Numbers on Monday night, so I may just bite the cash bullet and go after Dutch class, as I really love the band. I may be too exhausted though, we'll see. The crazy time is closed off with Xavier Rudd and Keller Williams, back at the Melkweg on Tuesday. Mogwai is also playing on Sunday, but I can't do everything.

It's been raining a lot lately. Since I returned from Leeds on Sunday, it hasn't stopped raining. It's pouring as I type. It ain't stopping my plans, however.

more later.

Comments...

Why does no one ever leave comments? I really don't think anyone reads this anyways. Regardless, I am doing this for myself.. I'll look back one day and have a diary.

So I am sitting in the University of Leeds computer clusters, feeling a bit odd and slightly nostalgic realizing that I haven't updated my blog in a while. Without a computer, it's quite hard to get around to doing it; hopefully, I'll have a computer this week. I think I'm buying a Mac, which excites me.

Leeds is, well... Leeds. My friends are good, nothing has changed and the town is still as gritty and rough around the edges as ever. I still like it here though. I'm really enjoying rekindling with my friends, drinking heavily and going back to the old haunts. I don't see myself coming back here much; too much history and my friends will all be gone next year. I'll probably return for another weekend in the Spring, as a final farewell of this place, peresay.

It is emotional here. I no doubt have been a wreck as of late, but I'm not going into that. Maybe wreck isn't the right word; just emotional, I guess. I have some of the best times of my life in the city, but everything has to come to an end at some point. A big house party tonite seems like the corker, then.

I have quite a busy week coming up, but what week isn't busy, ya know? After a massive presentation on Monday, I have to catch up on all my readings, go buy a computer, get it all spiffied up and just try and get back on track. Things are a bit of a mess... an organized mess, but a mess regardless.

I'm going to Prague to see my mom in November. That'll be nice.

peace-

Computer Hell...

I still don't have my computer back. 18 days and counting. I feel like a rich, spoiled Westerner when I complain about lacking my computer, but under these circumstances, having it would be extremely beneficial to my well being. Like tonite, for example; I missed a deadline on an article due today because of a late interview. It must, absolutely must, be submitted tonite. So instead of returning home after 12 straight hours at school, I have to go to my friend Jared's and use his, or go to an internet cafe. Ah, the lack of personality. If it wasn't for my Ipod, I'd be in a catharsis.

This is not a good week. Prepping to go to Leeds; I'm swamped... Huge presentation next Monday as well. Plus that day is Yom Kippur. Ah well...

Hey...

My computer is still broken. I feel swamped without it. More later.

Hi,

Another sunny day in Amsterdam. I'm starting to feel inundated, well actually drowning for that matter, in work. School is the most arduous, as the reading continues to mount within any hope of reprieval. In addition, I have a major presentation (3hrs+!) next week, papers due and more and more reading. It's not that I'm not enjoying the reading, because for the most part, I am... There is just so much. I don't know if a PhD is really the road I want to travel down; a research MA is hard enough.

Right now I'm beefing up on the theories abound in collective memory, given from the father figure of the discipline, Maurice Halwachs. He basically states that our memory is formed and directed in a collective manner - meaning, it's the people and groups around you and how you communicate them that shape memory. It's very marxist, but it makes sense. I have to write a response paper on it. Fun! Also, I'm reading up on the historiography surrounding the epic, and if epics are worthwhile in contemporary society. Think about that one...

I'm still figuring out how to link this to my indie rock theorem, and I have decided that I want to focus on two important websites that breed pretension in the industry; pitchfork and suicide girls. They are intrinsically different, but propose similar idealogies concerning style, fashion and music. I haven't figured out which theorists I'm going to connect this too, but I have many ideas brewing in my head.

I get my computer back tomorrow, hopefully fixed along with my external HD, also hopefully fixed. Tomorrow is a big day; I have a job interview, an appt for my tax number (my last immigration issue) and a dinner for Rosh Hashannah with some newly found Jewish friends. I also have to find time to read and research throughout, in addition to keeping up with job-work.

Things otherwise are unchanged. Life is good, all things considering, even though I have my 'alli' moments, as I call em, which come and go. I still feel like this is home though, and that is extremely important. Now if I could stop procrastinating and become as smart as everyone else - cause I'm the resident idiot - then all will be sorted.

peace-

Hi,

Well, lots of good news and bad news lately. I'll start with the bad news.

My computer crashed again. I think the back light died, as I can plug it into another monitor and it works fine. I took it to another place for fixing, and if all is well, I should have my external HD and computer up and running by Friday. I put myself on the waiting list for a new MAC, but I'm going to wait till I can afford a PowerBook Pro before I buy a new computer.

Good news, I finalized my trip to ICELAND! I received a press ticket to the festival and am in the process of booking all my travel plans. This means I'll be in London also for the a period of time in October, in addition to Reykjavik. The festival website is located HERE, so check it out.

Life has been busy. I wish I had time to see some of the wonderful friends I've made, but I've been swamped. The readings are piling up, the dutch homework takes tons of time (but it's helping) and the assignments are beginning. School is still absolutely enthralling, so I'm not complaining. I just had a class on Michel Serres, a philosopher new to me but whom I now admire. I recommend him to anyone interested in growing as an intellect page by page. He has been de-legitimized in academia apprantely, but I don't care... I loved it.

My bike is back up and running, and I also booked a trip to Geneva in December to see Eamon, Farhad and Meghan. On top of that, my dad is taking me on a Cruise December 22-29, so I will be HOME for NYE. Make plans.

No more real news... thinking... thinking... I still have yet to get a Sofi nummer, the social insurance or security number here, but that should happen within the next few weeks... I'm genuinely happy though, and I think Alli's spirit has a lot to do with that...

Best-

Hello.

I haven't posted all week. I really haven't had that much to post about. I'm just busy at work... really really busy... and I don't really think that's an entertaining blog post.

I will have Iceland finalized by Monday, which I'm really excited about. This weekend will be uneventful because of my workload. I hope to go to Almere and see Dele Sosimi, Fela Kuti's keyboardist in Afrika 80. I have to buckle down and giv'r work style to get to go though. I've had a productive day thusfar, which is good.

I think the Jewish holidays are soon. I should check up on that. More later.

It was too hot today for pictures... next time.

Research focus... research focus... I have been pondering what I want to write about for my final papers this semester and ultimately, my thesis. Everybody at school has some sort of pedagogical research focus and I'm drawing a blank with myself. I want to write about indie rock, theorize the pretension and the scene that we are currently enjoying or not enjoying. There is a level of pretension in indie, it's nothing new, and I'd like to like it to prescribed literacy and folklore, in some way...

well, more thinking awaits.

Howdy...

I have to take some more pictures of this city. Next post will be a picture only post. It has been gorgeous lately, so I hope it keeps up. It was amazing out today as well...

Okay, I had a lot of work to do this weekend, but I did most of it. Vice, JamBase, Relix, Pop Matters, School etc... fun fun fun. I have a few outstanding CD Reviews but those are easy anywho.

Today was, once again, a lovely day minus a few annoyances. I met my friend Gail at the Tropen Museum (Tropic Museum) for the last day of the Hindu Gods museum. It was free and colourful. I love the images in Hindu and Buddhism; they are so ostentatious and full of life. I also love elephants. After that we went to Oosterpark (East Place Park) to sit in the sun and read. She was reading up on Weber while I was mostly dicking around, reading non-academic stuff. Then like usual, I got hungry so we found some food and drink.

After returning to our bikes to say goodbye, I found that my back tire had a big puncture in it and was completely flat. If I rode it, then the tire would come off the wheel frame and I'd go flying, and it was unpatchable, so I had no choice but to walk. To preface my frustration, I just patched my front tire, which busted last week. Now, poetic justice came and bit me in the ass. Anywho, Oosterpark is about an hour's walk from my flat, and it was hot and sunny. Better yet, I wore my sandles and developed blisters whilst walking. I got home, frustrated and pissed off about my tire. I'll fix it tomorrow.

Back to the grind tomorrow. While I am backing out of a cultural studies of sexuality course because it does not fit my schedule this semester, the class is going on a tour of the Red Light District tomorrow and then drinks, so I'm going to join them. Why the hell not, ya know?

till next time...

Weekends...

Well, this is my 70th post. That's quite a few for me. I hope people are reading :). This is the easiest way to find out how life is in Amsterdam! Or you can call me :)

Anyway, my last post was fairly negative, and all that has reversed itself and worked itself out. Surprisingly or not, the past few days have been lovely. Absolutely lovely. I sorted out some extremely important immigration paperwork yesterday, went to an amazing dinner party hosted by my University where I met loads of people and have genuinely been happy. It's been sunny the past few days - including today - and despite an insane workload, I'm content. Really content.

There is not much to report on. I had a lovely conversation with the head of my program, who used to teach a Canadian Literature Class at Vrije Universteit, the other Uni in Amsterdam. We harked on about Atwood and Highway, which was lovely. This place is so intellectually stimulating. I feel free, wonderful, challenged, pressured and most importantly, happy. I think Alli has something to do with this.

Another Lovely Day...

I'm being sarcastic. Today has been tough. I accidentally pissed off some good friends of mine today - although I didn't mean to - and I hope they forgive me. Time does heal all wounds, and I'm hoping all works out. Other than that, things are status-quo. I always remember the saying that if you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all. I'm learning how true that is, because when I make one mistake after doing things relatively right for years, it really dents how I feel. I feel like crap, and I deserve to. I'm sorry guys.

-Shain