Postcard

Apologies to my 1.5 readers for the relatively long silence. I was in Bellagio attending a tedious and mind numbing conference, which I barely managed to escape (traumatic flashbacks still haunt me, however...). Although the conference itself was excruciating, Bellagio, Lake Como and the surrounding villages were heartbreakingly beautiful. Mist gently rolling down snow-capped mountain peaks, vividly lush greenery, fields of fragrant wildflowers in full bloom, schools of fish visible just beneath the lake's silvery surface, sailboats languorously swaying in the distance ... the area inspired all forms of purple prose imaginable.  It was a very 'torture in paradise' experience. Wish you were there.

I have run away to a safehouse in Milan, set up by the IOM for trafficked researchers.  I hope to find my way home soon. In the meantime, here are other memories of captivity, structured in a format I blatantly copied off a real writer (sorry Dan), minus the wit:

ATE lots of fish, soup, and salad, all sourced locally

DRANK an average of 8 -10 cups of sugary hot chocolate a day (sourced from a dubious-looking coffee machine)

STAYED at the Rockefeller center

SAILED across the lake via ferry boat

SPOTTED the balcony where Padme and Anakin shot that love scene for that epically horrible movie

FAILED to spot George Clooney, in spite of being tipped off by an inquisitive, reliable source on all things A-list

FORGOT to bring my digital camera cord, so the hazy picture you see is from my phone

BOUGHT limoncello for soulsis, olive oil for the chef

Apparently, John F. Kennedy whisked Marilyn Monroe off to Bellagio when he was wooing her. Looks like it worked.

Now's the time on Sprockets when we dance!

I think Dieter is an example of someone who has achieved 'successful shyness.'

Shyness is nice, and...

Shyness can stop you from doing all the things in life you'd like to, says the old man.

More shyness trivia:

- Shy children tend to have narrower faces than their peers

- Shy people are more likely to suffer from allergies and hay fever than non-shy people. They also have a more attuned sense of smell

- Shy people are more likely to be conceived during the months of August and September, when the days are shorter and the nights longer

- Humans aren't the only species that experiences shyness. Scientists have been studying shy cattle, shy fish, shy cats, and shy dogs.

 

From Shyness: A BOLD New Approach (har har...geddit?). The book discusses shyness, its causes, and ends with a treaty on how to achieve 'successful shyness.' 

Nice, but quite honestly,  if there's something you'd like to try, ask and I won't say no. How could I?*

**apologies to non-fans for the over-reliance on Smiths references

Gymboree

That last post got me thinking about another video, also (coincidentally) inspired by gym equipment. It's of the song 'Here it goes again' by the super Chicago quartet OK Go.

It was all over YouTube in 2007, which probably contributed to it eventually winning a Grammy.

No scary falsies, exercise balls, or spandex in this one. Don't worry, I'm no longer in the throes of deadline delirium (for now). I just love this band. They sound a little like The Strokes, but a much cooler, less stylized version. I've even tried to copy them using my sister's home treadmill (but don't tell her).

 

I Sing the Body Electronica

It's been a frenzied past few days, spent in partial solitary confinement 'preparing' for an out-of-town conference that finally took place this weekend (more on that later). I probably would have succumb to a nervous breakdown by Friday evening had I not relied on my usual upper. It not only kept me awake, but also riddled me with adrenalin whenever I started to flag. 

And I'm not referring to Red Bull, or positive self-affirmation, or to a plethora of other, more colorful uppers. No, no. I'm talking about Mason & Princess Superstar's single Perfect (Exceeder). It's loud, it's brash, it's in-your-face; what more could one want? Although it's been around for a very long time, it still works for me. Pure adrenalin, I tell you.

The video is fun too, though the song is edited a great deal and sounds more like the club/dance version (eww) than the more streamlined and richly textured electronic version available on iTunes. 

The problem with the video is that it leaves one with last image syndrome. Surely if there's last song syndrome, there's an image equivalent? So as I read my presentation to a room full of bead-wearing, feminist, middle aged women (and one man, the supportive hubby), I kept imagining myself bouncing on an exercise ball, wearing long fake lashes, a visor, and a plunging V neck spandex suit. 

Speaking of exercise ball, I would have been even more inclined to live out my video fantasy had I been sitting on one of these babies: a Gaiam 'balance ball chair,' which claims to 'combine exercise and fitness with comfort and ergonomic back support at an affordable price.' I guess those are important considerations when making a music video.

Now that I have made my love for (and dependence on) this song public, I'm expecting friends to stop returning phone calls, family to disown me, and to be uninvited from polite dinner parties that I haven't been invited to in the first place.

 That's okay. I am prepared to suffer for my Art (sniff).

Why all this music?

To be alive: not just the carcass

But the spark.

That's crudely put, but...

If we're not supposed to dance,

 

Why all this music?

-- Gregory Orr, Concerning the Book that is the Body of the Beloved

Death is the new black

If the sprightliness of Spring is leaving you feeling slightly down, take heart: there's a slew of moribund entertainment cropping up to help lift your spirits back up again.

I'm not exactly sure when Death became such a blockbuster, but like flats, fringes, and Madonna, looks this trend might just end up sticking around for a while. Or should I say for eternity? 

I spotted Mary Roach's Six Feet Over: Adventures in the Afterlife while browsing through my favorite bookstore, Daunt Books, in Notting Hill. My immediate thought: not exactly the kind of book you'll see lying around hospital waiting rooms. In spite of my cynicism (I judge books by their covers), it seems to have received universally positive reviews, with its author praised as 'one of the best kept secrets in America.'  This might be why I haven't heard of her.  Why am I always the last one in on a secret? If you end up liking Six Feet Over, you can always move on to Mary's other book, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers.

If you're in the mood for an exhibit, you can visit the Wellcome Collection to view Life Before Death, made up of '24 sets of photographs taken before and after death.' According to its website, the artists 'asked 24 terminally ill people if they could accompany them during their last weeks and days. From these vigils came a series of insightful descriptions and photographic portraits taken before and after death. Far from being gloomy, these... reveal the preciousness and transience of life, and make us question what we often take for granted.'

Finally, you can buy a pair of cute grim reapers, one male, one female (guess which is which) from designer toy site Vinyl Pulse. Their names? Ciao Ciao and Adios, of course.