Blue Monday Blues, Part Deux

French update: so yesterday, I was doing some mad cramming in the final hour before my French test. If cramming was a superpower, I’d have been the equivalent of The Flash on steroids. But then it turned out that my French test was moved to next week. So I get to repeat this panicked cramming madness again in 7 days. FAAAAAAACK!!

Book nerds - BEHOLD! While on the subject of learning, I thought I'd share images from the beautiful cafe and libary inside the B2 Boutique hotel in Zurich, Switzerland. We didn't actually stay at this hotel, but did consume one small $15 hot chocolate there, while admiring the floor to ceiling bookshelves.

The Ramen King and I

I was at the library last week, and their 'New and Notable' section had a book called 'The Ramen King and I: How the Inventor of Instant Noodles Fixed My Love Life'. I was drawn to its cover, which featured a glorious styrofoam white package of Nissin Cup Noodles set against a background of blue rays of sunshine. Without even bothering to figure out if it was a novel, a self help book, or just some random facts book about the history of instant noodles, I decided that this was my next must read.

I know what you're thinking - that sounds positively retarded... packages of seasoning, dried vegetables bits and sesame oil, notwithstanding. But hear me out - 1) I LOVE INSTANT NOODLES. 2) Nissin Cup Noodles are pretty much the fifth food group. 3)... well, that pretty much summed up why I felt this was a must read.

And besides, this is certainly not the first time I've decided to read a book based on the image on the cover or its somewhat ridiculous title. The last two I did this with (books respectively titled 'The Cheese Monkeys' and 'Incompetence') both turned out to be great ones that I've read 5 times combined. 3 for 3!!!

Having said that, I've probably done nothing to convince you as to why you should hunt down a copy of this Ramen King book. As I'm not a gifted writer in any sense of the word, nor have I even finished reading the entirety of this pseudo autobiography/ tell all about the author's love life, there is no way I could do it justice. From what I've gotten so far, it's part retrospective diary, part wry self psychoanalysis of a serial cheater, and part contemporary history lesson on the etiquette of eating sushi, Japanese Culture, and of course, Instant Ramen. I would suggest this book to anyone with even a remotely similar sense of humour or personality or general taste in all things quirky as me to put down your reservations and give this book a shot. And if you don't enjoy the read, I'll treat you to a steaming hot Cup Noodles the next time I see you.

Reading Room Pt. II - Irony

So I've gotten a little further into that book I borrowed from the library, Affluenza. It's really interesting. It is so good, in fact, that the more I read it, the more I feel like I want to buy it, which is ironic considering it's a book that relates materialism and consumer culture to a society wide disease.

And the hypocritical thing about me telling you to read this anti-consumption book, is the fact that I just bought myself a new lens - a prime lens whose focal length I already have one of. I bought me a Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 manual focus lens, which will replace my AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8. And considering I've also got a Voigtlander 58mm f/1.4, I'm not exactly a model spokesperson for NOT needlessly buying things. Oh, the hypocrisy that is my life.

Anita's gonna bludgeon me to a pulp when she sees this, but I really wanted to post a test shot with the new glass. Shot at f/2, 1/100 sec at ISO 640. She was giving herself a facial with some kind of cosmetic rejuvenating softening firming toning cleansing skin mask thingy (not that she needs it, she's got like the softest skin ever)...



G'night folks! Here's hoping I don't get suffocated by a pillow by said wife tonight...

Reading Room

Currently on the reading list: Affluenza, The all consuming epidemic - by John De Graaf et al. Check it out (you can get it at the library, rather than buying it). Re-examine your life's priorities (shopping BAD).

Oh, and donate to the Haiti relief efforts. It'll make you feel better than if you spend that 20 bucks on a shitty Michael Bay directed DVD (I know you're out there)...

Comrade G, over and out.

Last 365 of my decade

I hadn't even realized it until several folks mentioned it on facebook. I turn 29 tomorrow (well, technically, today, since I took so long to compose this entry). It's my last 365 days that I can call myself a 20-something, before I hit that 3rd decade in life whereby one graduates to relaxed fit khakis and tucked in Ralph Lauren sweaters. Truly, I dread this date next year.

I don't know how best to cap off my 2009 in one post. So much stuff has happened this year that no one singular entry can even begin to do justice to it's epicness (which apparently isn't a word because blogger's built in spell check has it underlined in red - ironically, so is the word "blogger's"). Here's a short list that I just came up with off the top of my head of trips, new music, movies, books, cameras and other things that contributed to this epicness (still not a real word):

New York City/ Tokyo/ Kyoto/ Osaka/ Fugu Sashimi/ Hong Kong/ Seattle/ Vancouver/ Grouse Grind/ Nissin Instant Noodles/ Las Vegas/ Kings of Leon/ The Submarines/ Modest Mouse/ The Lovely Feathers/ Flight of the Conchords/ True Blood/ Pride and Prejudice and Zombies/ Factory Girls/ Lost on Planet China/ Postcards from Tomorrow Square/ ACAD/ SAIT/ Flickr/ Holga/ Diana Mini/ Voigtlander Vito II/ f/1.8/ Manual Focus/ Prime Lenses/ Toy Cameras/ Photowalks/ Globefish Sushi/ Mt. Indefatigable/ Double Exposures/ The Impossible Project reviving Polaroid film/ Converse Chuck Taylors/ I'm sure there's way more, but I'm still freaking bagged from Vegas, so I'll end it here.

I have a ton of new photos and other stuff to post, but just can't seem to decide where to start... so I'll leave them for next year. Wishing you a fun and safe New Year's party, and health, happiness, and prosperity in 2010.

-G

Blacula and the Master of Tae Kwon Do

The annoying screams of tween adulation for 'Edward' can be heard from pretty much anywhere on the planet this weekend. Which pretty much makes me want to barf. Forget New Moon. You want a vampire flick with substance? Hunt down a copy of a REAL vampire flick like Blacula! Seriously, the world needs more blaxploitation films. More specifically, blaxploitation horror films. What a perfect marriage of genres.

And that got me thinking - the only thing the world needs MORE than blaxploitation films right now is choose your own adventure novels. When the hell did those go out of literary fashion? Seriously, WTF? You can't enter any bookstore without having to weave your way through stacks of Twilight related novels and junk, but nowhere can the literary masterpiece Master of Tae Kwon Do be found on the sprawling floor space? There is something clearly wrong with this world when you can't get a good dose of novels in which YOU get to decide whether the protagonist should order a pizza or go for a bike ride. Someone please get on this. Linear storytelling is soooo passé...