The good the bad and the beautiful

My week started out like CRAP. I blame it on the rain and.... global warming! The rain finally stopped Thursday and that's when things started getting better.

Thank goodness for friends, and retail therapy.

Weekend:

Friday night, Wendy and I went to The Fringe Club for Listen Up! I really appreciate what this place is trying to do, the whole giving new artists a stage to perform on, gallery space to show work..etc etc. We checked out their gallery space. What's funny is that there were paintings for sale, actual price tags next to all the pieces (there were big paintings for 8000HKD). To me that's a little awkward and kind of cuts down the...should I say "warmth" of the whole place. When I was walking around it felt like they were trying to do everything at the same time. Obviously a recent art school graduate doesn't want to make "starving artist" as their profession...and this is giving them a chance to make some dough to pay the rent. But pricing the paintings like shoes for sale — at a place that's supposed to be encouraging — is "cold".

Anyhow, here's a band that performed. Can't remember their name. We saw 2 of the 3 performances and this band was the better of the two...just an opinion.





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Saturday I went computer hunting. It's finally time to replace my Powerbook G4, she's been with me for the past 4 years through thick and thin. I've dropped her numerous times, she's been sent to "the station" 3 times and now she's begging me to let her go. You can get a pretty good deal for a Macbook Pro here. All hail for tax-free HK!

I saw The Incredible Hulk!! Reminds me of...
Anyway, it was 1000x better than the first one! But that's because my favorite actor is in it! Edward Norton is the epitome of the perfect man to me. The sad eyes, the dark hair, the way he talks, the script writing, the directing, the environmental activism, educated. I love the roles he chooses to play. Fight Club, Norton beats Brad Pitt by farrr.



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An afternoon with Olivia, at Cafe Epoch, then some shopping at Pacific Place and IFC...
I really enjoyed Epoch when I first arrived in HK. It's worst weekday lunchtimes when its filled with men in suits and it becomes a big and chatty corporate meeting room. Best at night, for dessert, when it's most quiet, right before they close.













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I'll be in Shenzhen for most of next week. Ah why is everything so hard?? ...
Must be global warming.

Alternatives

I've recently met a couple of people, like me, that have come back to Asia after being away for so long, it really shocks me how they're so easily assimilated into the mainstream, doing things a certain way just because "this is the way Hong Kong does it". What ever happened to the "I am an artist and I don't give a fuck how others do it" attitude? What happened to being the alternative?

China is changing. People are not longer easily impressed by the degree you have or as gullible because you have won x number of awards overseas. You say you can do this and that? Show it. Some would say they have x degree from x university that they came top in their class etc etc. Wha? These people are laying out their credentials demanding some sort of "respect". Do they know that respect can't be demanded, it's earned. I find myself bombarded with these lines that are supposed sound impressive. I think to impress someone you have to let them find out for themselves all the wonderful things you have achieved. If you shove it in front of people's faces or shout it in their ears, you're going to get the opposite effect.

It all comes down to attitude.

Perhaps the ego maniacs are the ones who make more money. But are they interesting people?

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This is an awesome song, great lyrics. Santogold, LES Artists.



What I'm searching for
to tell it straight, I'm trying to build a wall
Walking by myself
down avenues that reek of time to kill
If you see me keep going
be a pass by waver
Build me up, bring me down
just leave me out you name dropper
Stop trying to catch my eye
I see you good you forced faker
Just make it easy
You're my enemy you fast talker

Chorus:
I can say I hope it will be worth what I give up
If I could stand up mean for the things that I believe

What am I here for
I left my home to disappear is all
I'm here for myself
Not to know you
I don't need no one else
Fit in so good the hope is that you cannot see me later
You don't know me
I am an introvert an excavator
I'm duckin' out for now
a face in dodgy elevators
Creep up and suddenly
I found myself
an innovator

[Chorus]

Change, change, change,
I want to get up out of my skin
tell you what
if I can shake it
I'm 'a make this
something worth dreaming of

[Chorus]

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This is at Backstage Live, on a Wednesday, with Hilda and Jesse, we saw this local soon to be pop star Ivan So (in black). The space is really cute and intimate, the staff was really friendly too. It was like listening to a story teller. Definitely going back for more.