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.

Home...

I missed Amsterdam. I missed its innate clostraphobia, the bevy of grocery options that enable me to avoid any hint of the megastore lifestyle, the sheer insanity and ignorance expelled from every tourist dangling along Dam Square, the hot food in vending machines, the jittery trams, the rain, the canals and the fact that you have to bring your own bags to stores to save money.

I was away for a long time. Six weeks to be exact. I enjoyed my time away, especially with my family and my band, but it is time for home, and home means school. I have a paper exploring the craziness of duty free shops from a discursive analysis point of view due shortly, and throughout I have a shitload of work coming from all angles. Anywho, I'm going to enjoy home while I'm here. I do leave again next week.

x

In the studio,

We have been the studio for eight hours now and miraculously laid down the bare bones for four tracks, which is fantastic. Three of the songs are old and are found on "Soliloquy" but have been completely re-orchestrated and performed while one is brand new, a song called "Shivaree" which actually comes from a play that our friends What The Thunder Said scored. There have been some moments of jubilance, as everything seems to be coming together perfectly. I cannot wait for people to hear the record, and we're in good shape for having it done and ready to roll on May 1st. Right now we're sorting out the nooks and crannies for our single, "Stay Up," which un-mixed and un-mastered sounds fantastic, so I have good vibes on how it'll sound when completed.

In other news, I go home on Saturday. It has been a whirlwind week. I met some amazing people on tour, and got to spend some time with a few which was great, and I hung out with the band and K quite a bit. Things are on the up and up with this... I expect good things.

School begins on Monday, and I have a huge term paper due a week after. Welcome back to real world, Mr. Shapiro. I am excited to see my friends back at home and get to settle into my new place after I quickly moved out before going on tour. We also have a round of shows planned for May, so stay tuned for dates and stuff like that.

I am also working on some interesting articles, so stay tuned.

peace-