tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59917792087846530982011-07-30T15:09:12.119-07:00These are the ramblings of a ramblin' manDavid Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.comBlogger261100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-4655770874561243002009-03-17T11:00:00.000-07:002010-05-25T15:58:39.780-07:00I needed a page for my record collection, so it becomes a blog entry.<br /><br />12"<br /><br />19 Hot Country Requests<br />20 Original Top Hits<br />21 Country Giants<br />25 Great Country Artists Singing Their Original Hits<br />25 Polka Greats<br />28 Akkordeon-Trumpfe<br />30 Super Disco Hits<br />50 Stars of Country Music<br />101 Strings - I Love Paris<br />101 Strings - East of Suez<br />101 Strings - Exodus<br />101 Strings - The Fire and Romance of the Gypsies<br />101 Strings - Soul of the Blues<br />101 Strings - Play Million Seller Hits of Simon and Garfunkle<br />1969 Warner - Reprise Record Show, The<br />2001: A Space Odyssey - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />5th Dimension, The - Age of Aquarius<br />A-ha - Hunting High and Low<br />Abba - Voulez-Vous<br />Abba - Greatest Hits Vol. 2<br />Abba - The Visitors<br />Adamski the Keyboard Wizard - N-R-G<br />Addy, Obo - Kukrudu<br />Air - Moon Safari<br />All in the Family<br />All This and WWII<br />All Time Great Bloopers Vol. 1<br />All Time Greatest Hits of Country Music<br />Allman Brothers, The - At Fillmore East<br />America - Greatest Hits<br />America Sings<br />American Gold<br />Amral's Trinidad Cavaliers Steel Orchestra - The Greatest 10 All Time Calypso Favourites<br />Analog Brothers - 2005<br />Anastasio, Trey - Original Boardwalk Style<br />Anastasio, Trey - The Horseshoe Curve<br />Anastasio, Trey/Don Hart - Time Turns Elastic<br />Anderson, Laurie - Big Science<br />Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam<br />Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion<br />Answered Questions - What You Deserve<br />Astley, Rick - Whenever You Need Somebody<br />Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra - Talkatif<br />B-52's, The - Wild Planet (wrong jacket)<br />Babys, The - Union Jacks<br />Bach, Johann Sebastian - Gamba Sonatas<br />Baez, Joan - Diamonds and Rust<br />Baez, Joan - "Farewell Angelina"<br />Baez, Joan - Come From the Shadows<br />Baez, Joan - Any Day Now<br />Baez, Joan - Self Titled<br />Back to the Future - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Band, The - Self Titled (2 copies)<br />Band, The - Northern Lights - Southern Cross<br />Banjo Bonanza<br />Banjo Sing-a-long<br />Barbershop Harmony At It's Best!<br />Bare, Bobby - Sings Lullabys, Legends, and Lies<br />Bare, Bobby - Folsom Prison Blues<br />Barman, MC Paul - Cock Mobster<br />Barrett, Syd - The Madcap Laughs/Barrett<br />Beach Boys, The - Good Vibrations: The Best Of<br />Beach Boys, The - Wild Honey<br />Beach Boys, The - M.I.U. Album<br />Beach Boys, The - Endless Summer<br />Beach Boys, The - Today!<br />Beastie Boys, The - Love American Style<br />Beatles, The - Meet the Beatles<br />Beatles, The - Let It Be<br />Beatles, The - The Second Album (No Sleeve)<br />Beatles, The - Help!<br />Beatles, The - Rubber Soul<br />Beatles, The - Revolver (2 copies)<br />Beatles, The - Magical Mystery Tour<br />Beatles, The - At the Hollywood Bowl<br />Beatles, The - White Album<br />Beatles, The - Abbey Road<br />Beatles, The - Hey Jude<br />Beatles, The - 1962 - 1966<br />Beatles, The - 1967 - 1970<br />Beck - Gameboy Variations<br />Beer Drinking Music<br />Beethoven, Ludwig Van - Symphonie No. 7<br />Beethoven, Ludwig Van - Symphonies Nos. 1 &amp; 4<br />Beethoven, Ludwig Van - Symphonies Nos. 4 &amp; 5<br />Best of Bloopers, The<br />Big Rig Hits<br />Billo's Caracas Boys - Billo '72<br />Biz Markie/Rakim/Beatnuts - Single<br />Bjork - Kindness Kind Remixes<br />Blondie - Parallel Lines<br />Blondie - The Best Of<br />Blowfly - Fahrenheit 69<br />Blue Scholars - Residing Where the Hustle and the Struggle Coincide<br />Bluegrass: The Greatest Show on Earth<br />Boney M - ???<br />Boney M - Nightflight to Venus<br />Bowie, David - Hunky Dory<br />Bowie, David - Lodger<br />Bowie, David - Station to Station<br />Bowie, David - Tonight<br />Bowie, David - ChangesOne<br />Bowie, David - Diamond Dogs<br />Bowie, David - Let's Dance<br />Bowie, David - Never Let Me Down<br />Breakin' - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Brickell, Edie &amp; the New Bohemians - Shooting Rubber Bands at the Stars<br />Brown, Foxy - Oh Yeah<br />Brown, James - Bring it On!<br />Brown, James - Living in America<br />Brown, Julie - Self Titled<br />Brubeck, Dave Quartet - Jazz Goes to College<br />Bukue One - Watchmenow<br />Bukue One - Autonomy Records Presents: F'Real Version<br />Butter 08<br />Byrds, The - Sweetheart of the Rodeo<br />Cameo - Alligator Woman<br />Cameo - Cameosis<br />Cameo - Secret Omen<br />Candy Man<br />Captain &amp; Tennille, The - Love Will Keep Us Together<br />Carey, Mariah - Fantasy (only 1 record)<br />Carlin, George - Indecent Exposure: Some of the Best of<br />Carlin, George - Occupation: Foole<br />Carlin, George - EM &amp; AM<br />Carlton, Carl - Self Titled<br />Cars, The - Self Titled<br />Cartoon Breaks<br />Caruso - The Voice of the Century<br />Cash, Johnny - I Walk the Line<br />Cash, Johnny - The World of<br />Chambers Brothers, The - Love, Peace, and Happiness<br />Cheech and Chong - Self Titled<br />Cheech and Chong - Big Bambu<br />Children's Version of Grease<br />Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House<br />Chipmunks Sing the Beatles, The<br />Chipmunks - Urban Chipmunk<br />Clark, Dick - 50 Years of Rock and Roll<br />Cliff, Jimmy - The Harder They Come<br />Clockwork Orange, A - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Cocktail - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Cohen, Leonard - Live Songs<br />Cohen, Leonard - Death of A Ladies Man<br />Cohen, Leonard - Songs of Leonard Cohen<br />Cohen, Leonard - Songs of Love and Hate<br />Cohen, Leonard - I'm Your Man<br />Cohen, Leonard - Songs From A Room<br />Cole, Nat King - The Greatest of Vol. 1<br />Collins, Bootsy - Bootsy's Rubber Band - This Boot is Made For Fonkin'<br />Collins, Bootsy - Ultra Wave<br />Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen<br />Commodores, The - Self Titled (2 copies)<br />Commodores, The - Heroes<br />Commodores, The - Greatest Hits<br />Commodores, The - In the Pocket<br />Commodores, The - Midnight Magic<br />Commodores, The - Natural High (2 copies)<br />Cooper, Alice - Constrictor<br />Concert Promenade<br />Copland, Stewart - Rumble Fish: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Corea, Chick - Secret Agent<br />Corea, Chick - The Mad Hatter<br />Corea, Chick - The Leprechaun<br />Corea, Chick - Light As a Feather (with Return To Forever)<br />Corea, Chick - Elektric Band<br />Corea, Chick - Now He Sings, Now He Sobs<br />Cosby, Bill - Is a Very Funny Fellow Right!<br />Cosby, Bill - Wonderfulness<br />Cream - The Best Of<br />Country &amp; Western Hall of Fame<br />Country Crossovers - The Best Of<br />Country Hits<br />Country Music Hall of Fame<br />Country Music Hall of Fame Vol. 2<br />Country Sunshine<br />Country Superstars<br />Crash Crew - Self Titled<br />Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory<br />Crosby, Nash - Live<br />Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young - 4 Way Street<br />Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young - Deja Vu<br />Cult, The - Wildflower<br />Culture Club - Kissing To Be Clever<br />Culture Club - Colour By Numbers<br />Cure, The - Let's Go To Bed<br />Cure, The - Standing on a Beach, The Singles<br />Dario G - Sunchyme<br />Daring, Peter - Self Titled<br />Davis Jr., Sammy - Now<br />Davis, Miles - Odyssey!<br />Davis, Miles - Kind of Blue<br />Davis, Miles - Bitches Brew<br />Davis, Miles - A Tribute To Jack Johnson<br />Davis, Miles - Miles Ahead<br />Dead Kennedys - Bleed For Me<br />Dead Kennedys - In God We Trust, Inc.<br />Dead Kennedys - Too Drunk To Fuck<br />Dead Or Alive - Youthquake<br />Deee-Lite - Groove is in the Heart<br />Del the Funky Homosapien - Funk 'Em<br />Del the Funky Homosapien - Both Sides of the Brain<br />Di Meola, Al - Casino<br />Di Meola, Al - Splendido Hotel<br />Diamond, Neil - Hot August Night<br />Die Warzau - Welcome To America<br />Dire Straights - Self Titled<br />Disco Duck - Big Hits Dance Party<br />Disco Duck - Dance Party<br />Disco Duck - Duck Wars<br />Disco Fire<br />Disco Nights<br />Disco Party<br />Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - Television: The Drug of the Nation<br />Donovan - Mellow Yellow<br />Double J - If It Ain't a Caddy (It Ain't a Car)<br />DJ Jazzy Jeff &amp; The Fresh Prince - A Nightmare On My Street<br />DJ Micro - Penetrate<br />DJ Shadow - Endtroducing...<br />Dr. Dre - Chronicles<br />Deliverance - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Duke, George - The Aura Will Prevail<br />Dumb Ditties<br />Dylan, Bob - Blood on the Tracks<br />Dylan, Bob - Highway 61 Revisited<br />Dylan, Bob - Empire Burlesque<br />Dylan, Bob - Desire<br />Dylan, Bob - Nashville Skyline<br />Dylan, Bob - Blonde on Blonde<br />Dylan, Bob - Shot Of Love<br />Dylan, Bob - Pat Garrett &amp; Billy the Kid: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Dylan, Bob - John Wesley Harding<br />Dylan, Bob - At Budokan<br />Dylan, Bob - Another Side of<br />Dylan, Bob - Hard Rain<br />Dylan, Bob - New Morning<br />Dylan, Bob - Slow Train Coming<br />Dylan, Bob - Street Legal<br />E, Shelia - In<br />Early, Early Childhood Songs<br />Earth, Wind, and Fire - All 'N All<br />Easy Rider - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Egyptian Lover, The - Egypt, Egypt<br />Electric Light Orchestra - Ole ELO<br />Evans, Bill Trio - With Symphony Orchestra<br />Evans, Bill Trio - Cross Currents<br />Evans, Bill - Affinity<br />Everly Brothers, The - The Very Best Of<br />Evita<br />Federal Hill - I Have Something For You<br />Feelings<br />Fire Into Music<br />Fleetwood Mac - Kiln House<br />Family Library of Great Music (Funk &amp; Wagnalls) - Album 1 (2 copies)<br />Family Library of Great Music (Funk &amp; Wagnalls) - Album 4 (2 copies)<br />Family Library of Great Music (Funk &amp; Wagnalls) - Album 5<br />Family Library of Great Music (Funk &amp; Wagnalls) - Album 6<br />Family Library of Great Music (Funk &amp; Wagnalls) - Album 7<br />Family Library of Great Music (Funk &amp; Wagnalls) - Album 8<br />Family Library of Great Music (Funk &amp; Wagnalls) - Album 17<br />Feidler, Arthur &amp; The Boston Pops - Play the Beatles<br />Fiddler on the Roof - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />First Songs For Children<br />Flogging Molly - Drunken Lullabies<br />Flying Burrito Brothers, The - The Gilded Palace of Sin<br />Flying Burrito Brothers, The - Last of the Red Hot Burritos<br />Fogerty, John - Eye of the Zombie<br />For Laughing Out Loud<br />Four Seasons, The - Story<br />Four Tops, The - Greatest Hits<br />Four Tops, The - Live &amp; In Concert<br />France<br />Franklin, Aretha - Aretha's Greatest Hits<br />Free To Be You And Me - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Fun Rock<br />Gainsbourg, Serge - Programme Plus<br />Gaye, Marvin - Greatest Hits<br />Gaye, Marvin - Let's Get It On<br />Gaye, Marvin - Midnight Love<br />German Folk Songs - Rocked in USA<br />German Beer Drinking Songs by the Zillertal Band<br />Getz, Stan - Getz/Gilberto<br />Getz, Stan - Jimmy Rowles The Peacocks<br />Getz, Stan - Captain Marvel<br />Getz, Stan - and the Oscar Peterson Trio<br />Getz, Stan - The History Of<br />Ghostbusters - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Gigi - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Give Peace A Dance Vol. 3<br />Gorillaz - Demon Days<br />Glaude, Donald - Da' Bomb Remixes<br />Golden Voyage - ...Experience<br />Goldilocks 3 Bears<br />Good Feeling Music of the Big Chill Generation - Volume 3<br />Good Feeling Music of the Big Chill Generation - Volume 4<br />Good Old Rock &amp; Roll<br />Goofy Greats<br />Graham Central Station - Aint No Bout-a-Doubt It<br />Graham Central Station - Self Titled<br />Grandmaster Flash &amp; the Furious Five - The Message<br />Grant, Amy - Every Heartbeat<br />Grateful Dead, The - Aoxomoxoa<br />Grateful Dead, The - In The Dark<br />Grateful Dead, The - Wake Of the Flood<br />Grease - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Great Country Instrumentals<br />Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs<br />H.M.S. Pinafore<br />Haggard, Merle - The Fightin' Side of Me<br />Hair - Original Broadway Cast Recording<br />Hamburger, Neil - SIngs Country Winners<br />Hampton, Lionel - The Best Of<br />Hampton, Lionel - Soft Vibes, Soaring Strings<br />Hancock, Herbie - Secrets<br />Hancock, Herbie - Sunlight<br />Hancock, Herbie - Hardrock<br />Hancock, Herbie - Thrust<br />Hancock, Herbie - Headhunters<br />Hancock, Herbie - Feets Don't Fail Me Now<br />Hancock, Herbie - Future Shock<br />Happy Days Of Rock and Roll, The<br />Happy Party Songs for Boys and Girls<br />Harris, Emmylou - Pieces of the Sky<br />Harris, Emmylou - Profile: The Best of<br />Harris, Emmylou - Profile II: The Best of<br />Harrison, George - Thirty Three &amp; 1/3<br />Harrison, George - All Things Must Pass<br />Hayes, Isaac - Don't Let Go<br />Hayes, Isaac - Shaft: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Hear the Animals Sing<br />Heart - Bad Animals<br />Heart - Self Titled<br />Heart - Greatest Hits/Live<br />Hee - Haw - Guest Stars<br />Hello Rhythm<br />Hendrix, Jimi - Band of Gypsies<br />Hendrix, Zac - Insult II Injury - "Funk For Fun"<br />Here Come the Critters<br />Herman's Hermits - Introducing<br />Hieroglyphics - 3rd Eye Vision<br />History of Country Music, The - Vol. 3<br />History of Country Music, The - Vol. 4<br />Hits From the Great Western Movies<br />Holly, Buddy - A Rock and Roll Collection<br />Hot Nights &amp; City Lights<br />Hullabaloo Au-Go-Go!!!<br />Hussain, Zakir - Making Music<br />I Start Counting<br />Ice Cube - Until We Rich<br />Imagination &amp; Me<br />Indios Tabajaras, Los - Maria Elena<br />Intro Disco<br />It's Toddler Time<br />Jackson, Michael - Bad<br />Jackson, Michael - Thriller<br />Jackson, Michael - Off the Wall<br />James Bond - 13 Original Themes<br />James, Rick - Street Songs<br />James, Rick - Reflections<br />James, Rick &amp; Stone City Band - Come Get It!<br />Jan &amp; Dean - Live in Person<br />Jan &amp; Dean - Golden Hits Vol. 2<br />Jane's Addiction - Ritual De Lo Habitual<br />Jazz<br />Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow<br />Jefferson Starship - Red Octopus<br />Jennings, Waylon - Black on Black<br />Jennings, Waylon - Greatest Hits<br />Jennings, Waylon - Dreaming My Dreams<br />Joel, Billy - An Innocent Man<br />Joel, Billy - 52nd Street<br />Joel, Billy - Piano Man<br />Joel, Billy - The Stranger<br />John, Elton - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (2 copies)<br />John, Elton - Greatest Hits<br />Johnathan Livingston Seagull<br />Jones, Quincy - Smackwater Jack<br />Jones, Quincy - You've Got It Bad Girl<br />Jones, Sharon &amp; The Dap Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights<br />Jones, Sharon &amp; The Dap Kings - Naturally<br />Jones, Tom - Live in Las Vegas<br />Jones, Tom - Green, Green Grass of Home<br />Joplin, Janis - Janis<br />Junior Senior - Shake Your Coconuts<br />Jurassic 5 - If You Only Knew<br />Just For Variety Vol. 3<br />Justice - D.A.N.C.E.<br />Justice - Waters of Nazareth<br />Justice - Cross<br />Karloff, Boris - Narrates The Legend of Sleepy Hollow &amp; Rip Van Winkle<br />King, B.B. - L.A. Midnight<br />King T - Act A Fool<br />Knack, The - Get the Knack<br />Knight, Gladys &amp; The Pips - I Feel a Song<br />Kool &amp; The Gang - Celebration/Lipps Inc. - Funky Town<br />Kool &amp; The Gang - Something Special<br />Kool DJ Red Alert Presents...<br />Kool Keith - Lost Masters Vol. 2<br />Kottke, Leo - Self Titled<br />Kraftwerk - The Man Machine<br />Kraftwerk - Autobahn<br />Kuti, Fela - Army Arrangement<br />La Cage Aux Folles<br />Lauper, Cyndi - She's So Unusual<br />Lavelle, James - Romania #026<br />Lazarof, Henri<br />Le Livre De La Jungle<br />Learning Basic Skills Through Music<br />Lennon, John - The John Lennon Collection<br />Lennon, John - Double Fantasy<br />Lennon, John - Plastic Ono Band: Peace In Toronto 1969<br />Lennon, John - Imagine<br />Lennon, John - Walls and Bridges<br />Lennon, John - Mind Games<br />Lennon, John - Rock and Roll<br />Lennon, John - Plastic Ono Band<br />Lennon, John - Plastic Ono Band: Shaved Fish<br />Lennon, John - Telecasts<br />Let's Sing Together<br />Little Marcy with the Moses Story<br />Little White Duck, The<br />Lonesome Cowboy<br />Los Norte Americanos - The Band I Heard in Tijuana<br />Lovin' Spoonful, The - Everything Playing<br />Lovin' Spoonful, The - The Very Best Of<br />M.I.A. - Kala<br />Madonna - You Can Dance<br />Madonna - Self Titled<br />Madonna - Like A Virgin<br />Madonna - Like A Prayer<br />Madonna - True Blue<br />Mahavishnu Orchestra - Visions of the Emerald Beyond<br />Mahavishnu Orchestra - Live: Between Nothingness and Eternity (2 copies)<br />Mahavishnu Orchestra - Apocalypse<br />Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Best of the<br />Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds of Fire<br />Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Inner Mounting Flame<br />Mahavishnu Orchestra - Inner Worlds<br />Mama's and the Papa's - If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears<br />Mancini, Henry - Breakfast at Tiffany's - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Mantovani - Film Encores<br />Mantovani -Exodus<br />Marley, Bob &amp; the Wailers - Natty Dread<br />Martin, Dean - Greatest Hits! Vol. 1<br />Martin, Dean/Frank Sinatra - Sleep Warm<br />Martin, Dean - The Best of<br />Martin, Dean - Everybody Loves Somebody<br />Martin, Steve - Comedy is Not Pretty!<br />Mary Poppins - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Mayfield, Curtis - Superfly: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />McCartney, Paul - McCartney<br />McCartney, Paul - Band on the Run<br />McCartney, Paul - Pipes of Peace<br />McFerrin, Bobby - Simple Pleasures<br />McLaughlin, John - Belo Horizonte<br />McLaughlin, John - Electric Guitarist<br />McLaughlin, John - Extrapolation<br />McLaughlin, John - Electric Dreams<br />McLaughlin, John - My Goal's Beyond (2 copies)<br />McLaughlin, John/Carlos Santana - Love, Devotion, Surrender (2 Copies)<br />McLaughlin, John/Al Di Meola/Paco De Lucia - Passion, Grace, and Fire<br />Melanie - Gather Me<br />Men At Work - Business as Usual<br />Miami Vice - Music From the Television Series<br />Morgan's Orange - Wood Eye<br />Most Happy Fellows, The - We're Off To See<br />Motown Story, The<br />Motown Superstars<br />Mouse That Roared, The<br />Mr. Lif - Triangular Warfare<br />Multiplication Rock<br />Muppet Movie, The - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Music Machine<br />Music Machine, The<br />Music Machine, The - Part II<br />Music Man, The - Original Cast<br />Music Man, The - Music of<br />Music People, The<br />Music, Martinis, and Memories<br />N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton<br />National Lampoon Radio Dinner<br />Negro Songs of Protest<br />Nelson, Willie - Tougher Than Leather<br />Nelson, Willie - Always On My Mind<br />Nelson, Willie - Pretty Paper<br />Nelson, Willie - Waylon &amp; Willie<br />Nelson, Willie - The Sound In Your Mind<br />Nelson, Willie - Honeysuckle Rose: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Nelson, Willie/Leon Russell - One For the Road<br />Nelson, Willie - Somewhere Over the Rainbow<br />Nelson, Willie - Stardust<br />Nemeth, Yoska - Soiree Chez Raspoutine<br />Nestor<br />New Kids On The Block - You Got It (The Right Stuff)<br />Nicks, Stevie - Bella Donna<br />No Nukes<br />Nursery Rhymes<br />Ocean, Billy - Suddenly<br />Ohio Players - Gold<br />Oingo Boingo - Only A Lad<br />Oingo Boingo - Not My Slave<br />Oingo Boingo - Good For Your Soul<br />Oingo Boingo - Boi-ngo<br />Oingo Boingo - Dark At the End of the Tunnel<br />Old Curiosity Shop<br />Oldies But Goodies - Vol. 5<br />Oldies But Goodies - Vol. 6<br />Oldies But Goodies - Vol. 7<br />Oldies But Goodies - Vol. 8<br />Oldies But Goodies - Vol. 10<br />Orbison, Roy - The Very Best Of<br />Orbison, Roy - Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits<br />Orbison, Roy - More of Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits<br />Original 50's &amp; 60's, The<br />Outlaws, The - Wanted!<br />P-Funk - Parliament: Live P-Funk Earth Tour<br />P-Funk - Parliament: Funkentelechy Vs. The Placebo Syndrome<br />P-Funk - George Clinton: R &amp; B Skeletons in the Closet<br />P-Funk - Funkadelic: Cosmic Slop (2 copies)<br />P-Funk - Parliament: Mothership Connection (2 copies)<br />P-Funk - Funkadelic: Uncle Jam Wants You<br />P-Funk - George Clinton: Some Of My Best Jokes Are Friends<br />P-Funk - Funkadelic: One Nation Under a Groove<br />Pardon My Blooper! - Vol. 5<br />Pardon My Blooper! - Vol. 8<br />Parton, Dolly - Great Balls of Fire<br />Parsons, Gram - GP<br />Parsons, Gram/Flying Burrito Brothers - Sleepless Nights<br />Paris is For Lovers<br />Pelican Ossman - Self Titled<br />Penner, Fred - The Cat Came Back<br />People Like Me<br />Perspectives in Percussion<br />Peter and the Wolf<br />Petty, Tom - Full Moon Fever<br />Petty, Tom &amp; The Heartbreakers - Damn the Torpedoes<br />Petty, Tom &amp; The Heartbreakers - Long After Dark<br />Petty, Tom &amp; The Heartbreakers - Hard Promises<br />Petty, Tom &amp; The Heartbreakers - Self Titled<br />Petty, Tom &amp; The Heartbreakers - Southern Accents<br />Petty, Tom &amp; The Heartbreakers - Live! Pack Up the Plantation<br />Petty, Tom &amp; The Heartbreakers - You're Going To Get It!<br />Phone Call From God, A<br />Piaf, Edith - Chansons<br />Piaf, Edith - More Piaf of Paris<br />Pink Floyd - The Wall<br />Pink Floyd - Animals<br />Pink Floyd - Meddle<br />Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of the Moon<br />Pink Floyd - Ummagumma<br />Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here<br />Pink Panther, The - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Pixies - Come on Pilgrim<br />Pixies - Surfer Rosa<br />Platters, The - Encore of Golden Hits<br />Playma Group - Rush Of Time<br />Police, The - Ghost in the Machine<br />Pop Hits - Hit Parade Chante<br />Popeye - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Power House<br />Prefuse 73 - One Word Extinguisher<br />Prince - Let's Pretend We're Married<br />Prince - Self Titled<br />Prince - Purple Rain (2 copies)<br />Prince - 1999 (2 copies)<br />Prince - Controversy<br />Prince - For You<br />Prince - Sign 'O' the Times<br />Prince - Batman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Prince - Love Sexy<br />Prince - Around the World in a Day (2 copies)<br />Prince - Let's Go Crazy<br />Prince - Parade<br />Prince - Sign 'O' the Times (Single)<br />Prince - Dirty Mind<br />Propagandhi - Less Talk, More Rock<br />Quannum - Solesides Greatest Bumps<br />Queen - The Game<br />Queen - News of the World<br />Queen - A Night At the Opera<br />Raffi - Baby Beluga<br />Raffi - Corner Grocery Store<br />Raiders of the Lost Ark - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Ratatat - Classics<br />Redding, Otis - The Best of Otis Redding<br />Reed, Lou - Berlin<br />Reed, Lou - New York<br />Reed, Lou - Rock and Roll Animal<br />Remember How Great...?<br />Residents, The - Not Available<br />Return To Forever - Romantic Warrior<br />Return To Forever - Music Magic<br />Rhinestone Country<br />Righteous Brothers, The - Sayin' Somethin'<br />Rizo, Marco - Bossa Nova<br />Robertson, Pat - My Prayer For You<br />Rocky - Original Motion Picture Score<br />Rocky and Hal - Hoot 'En-Naughty<br />Rocky Horror Picture Show - Audience Par-tic-i-pation Album<br />Roger - The Many Facets of Roger<br />Rogers, Kenny - The Gambler<br />Rolling Stones, The - Hot Rocks<br />Rolling Stones, The - Emotional Rescue<br />Rolling Stones, The - Undercover<br />Rosenshontz - Tickles You!<br />Ross, Diana - Lady Sings The Blues: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Ross, Diana - Live at Caesar's Palace<br />Ross, Diana - To Love Again<br />Ross, Diana - The Boss<br />Ross, Diana - Diana<br />Ross, Diana - Theme From Mahogany<br />Ross, Diana &amp; Marvin Gaye - Diana &amp; Marvin<br />Saint-Saens, Pierne - Concert Pieces for Harp &amp; Orchestra<br />Soupy Sales Show, The<br />Santana - Zebop!<br />Saturday Night Fever - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Sea Shanties<br />Sesame Street - Getting Ready For School<br />Sesame Street - The Stars Come Out On Sesame Street<br />Sesame Street - Gold!<br />Sesame Street - The Best of the Count<br />Sexual Harrassment - Self Titled (no sleeve)<br />Scott-Heron, Gil - Reflections<br />Shadow Dancing and Other Disco Favorites<br />Shakti - Self Titled<br />Shakti - A Handful of Beauty<br />Shakti - Natural Elements<br />Shankar, Ravi - Ragas &amp; Tablas<br />Shankar, Ravi - The Sounds of India<br />Shelley - Never Again<br />Silverstein, Shel - Freakin' at the Freaker's Ball<br />Simon &amp; Garfunkel - The Graduate: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Simon &amp; Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme<br />Simon &amp; Garfunkel - Bookends<br />Simon, Paul - One Trick Pony<br />Simon, Paul - Graceland<br />Simon, Paul - Greatest Hits, Etc.<br />Simon, Paul - Still Crazy After All These Years<br />Simplified Rythym Stick Activities<br />Sinatra, Frank/Count Basie - It Might As Well Be Swing<br />Sinatra, Frank - Sinatra &amp; Strings<br />Sinatra, Frank - That's Life<br />Sinatra, Frank - A Man and His Music<br />Sinatra, Frank/Tommy Dorsey/Axel Stordahl - We 3<br />Sinatra, Frank/Tommy Dorsey - &amp; His Orchestra Featuring Frank Sinatra in 5 Vocals<br />Sinatra, Frank - Love is a Kick<br />Sinatra, Frank - My Way<br />Sinatra, Frank - A Swingin' Affair!<br />Sinatra, Frank - Swing Easy!<br />Sinatra, Frank - Sings For Only the Lonely<br />Sinatra, Frank - September of My Years<br />Sinatra, Frank - The Voice<br />Sinatra, Frank - Try A Little Tenderness/Self Titled<br />Sinatra, Frank - Greatest Hits<br />Singing Games<br />Sly and the Family Stone - Fresh<br />Sly and the Family Stone - Dance To the Music<br />Smashing Pumpkins - Gish<br />Smashing Pumpkins - I Am One<br />Snoop Dogg - Presents Doggy's Angels<br />Songs That Tickle Your Funny Bone<br />Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation<br />Sonic Youth - SYR3<br />Sonic Youth - SYR4<br />Soul Train - Hits That Made It Happen<br />Souls of Mischief - Trilogy: Conflict, Climax, Resolution<br />Sound Effects - U.S. Air Force Firepower<br />Sound Effects Vol. 2 - Sounds of Railroad Nostalgia<br />Sound Effects Demo<br />Sound Effects - Bugle Calls<br />Sounds of Sebring 1961<br />Sounds to Make You Shiver<br />Sousa, John Phillip - Marches<br />Stage Door Canteen<br />Star Wars - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk<br />Starr, Ringo - Stop and Smell the Roses<br />Statesmen, The - God Loves American People<br />Statler Brothers, The/Oak Ridge Boys - Performed By the Smokey Ridge Boys<br />Statler Brothers, The - "Then and Now"<br />Statler Brothers, The - Flowers on the Wall<br />Statler Brothers, The - The World of<br />Steely Dan - Aja<br />Stereo Demonstration Record<br />Still More Wacky WInners<br />Stills, Stephen - 2<br />Strauss, Johann - Orchestre Philharmonique De Londres<br />Strauss, Johann - Also Sprach Zarathustra<br />Suite For Piano and Jazz Piano<br />Subtle - For Hero, For Fool<br />Subtle - Exiting Arm<br />Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight<br />Summer, Donna - Bad Girls<br />Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Arkestra - Live at the Ann Arbor Blues &amp; Jazz Festival 1973<br />Super Oldies Vol. 1<br />Supremes, The/Temptations - TCB: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Supremes, The - Right On<br />Supremes, The - Greatest Hits<br />Supremes, The - Let the Sunshine In<br />Supremes, The - Reflections<br />Supremes, The/Four Tops - The Magnificent 7<br />Sweet Dreams - Hollywood Lover<br />Swinging Erudites, The - Walk With An Erection<br />Symphonie Fantastique<br />T. Rex - The Story of Pop: Mark Bolan &amp; T. Rex<br />Talking Heads - True Stories<br />Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense<br />Talking Heads - Fear of Music<br />Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues<br />Talking Heads - Remain in Light<br />Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food<br />Talking Heads - (Nothing But) Flowers<br />Tavares - Hard Core Poetry<br />Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker Suite/Romeo and Juliet<br />Tchaikovsky - Svyatoslav Richter<br />Television's Greatest Hits<br />Temptations, The - With a Lot o' Soul (2 copies)<br />Temptations, The - Live at the Copa<br />Temptations, The - All Directions<br />Temptations, The - Self Titled<br />Thin Lizzy - Rocker (1971 - 1974)<br />This Great Land of Ours<br />Thompson, Linval - I Love Marijuana<br />Thrill Kill Kult - My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult<br />Thrillers &amp; Chillers<br />Time, The<br />Time Out<br />Time Zone - World Destruction<br />Tiny Tim - God Bless Tiny Tim<br />Tom Tom Club - Self Titled<br />Tom Tom Club - Close to the Bone<br />Tom Tom Club - The Man With the 4-Way Hips<br />Tom Tom Club - The Pleasure of Love<br />Tom Tom Club - Under the Boardwalk<br />Toot Suite<br />Top Gun - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Townshend, Pete - Empty Glass<br />Townshend, Pete - White City<br />Tribe Called Quest, A - Butter<br />Turtles, The - Golden Hits<br />UB40 - Labour of Love<br />Uffie - Pop the Glock<br />Uffie - Hot Chick<br />Uberjerk - Quietis Anengine<br />Ultramagnetic M.C.'s - Make It Happen<br />UNKLE - Psyence Fiction<br />Van Zandt, Townes - Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas<br />Various Artists - Karl Rove: Courage and Consequence<br />Velvet Underground, The - And Nico<br />Velvet Underground, The<br />Ventures, The - "Surfing"<br />Village People - Go West<br />Village People - Live &amp; Sleazy<br />Village People - Cruisin'<br />Wacky Westerns<br />War - Deliver the Word<br />War of the Worlds<br />Waters, Roger - The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking<br />We Are The World<br />Ween - The Friends EP<br />Ween - White Pepper<br />Ween - The Mollusk<br />Ween - Chocolate and Cheese<br />Ween - Pure Guava<br />Weihnachten, Frohliche - Wunscht<br />What a Wonderful Thing is ME!<br />Who, The - Who Are You<br />Who, The - Tommy: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Who, The - It's Hard<br />Who, The - The Kids Are Allright (no sleeve)<br />Who, The - Quadrophenia<br />Williams, Hank - Greatest Hits (no sleeve)<br />Williams, Hank - A Tribute To<br />Williams, Hank - Time Life Country Music<br />Williams, Hank - The Great Hits of<br />Winter, Edgar Group - They Only Come Out At Night (2 Copies)<br />The Wizard Of Oz<br />Wonder, Stevie - Greatest Hits Vol. 2<br />Wonder, Stevie - Songs in the Key of Life<br />Wonder, Stevie - Talking Book<br />Wonder, Stevie - Fulfillingness' First Finale<br />Woodstock - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack<br />Wright, Richard - Wet Dream<br />Yankovic, "Weird Al" - Self Titled<br />Yankovic, "Weird Al" - Dare To Be Stupid<br />Yankovic, "Weird Al" - In 3-D<br />Young, Neil - Trans<br />Zappa, Frank &amp; The Mothers Of Invention - Freak Out!<br />Zappa, Frank &amp; The Mothers Of Invention - Over-nite Sensation<br />Zappa, Frank &amp; The Mothers Of Invention - Fillmore East - June 1971<br />Zappa, Frank &amp; The Mothers Of Invention - 200 Motels<br />Zappa, Frank &amp; The Mothers Of Invention - One Size Fits All<br />Zappa, Frank &amp; The Mothers Of Invention - Mothermania: The Best of the Mothers<br />Zappa, Frank &amp; The Mothers Of Invention - Roxy &amp; Elsewhere<br />Zappa, Frank &amp; The Mothers Of Invention - Just Another Band From L.A.<br />Zappa, Frank &amp; The Mothers Of Invention - Burnt Weeny Sandwich<br />Zappa, Frank &amp; The Mothers Of Invention - The Grand Wazoo<br />Zappa, Frank &amp; The Mothers Of Invention - Weasels Ripped My Flesh<br />Zappa, Frank &amp; The Mothers Of Invention - We're Only In It For the Money<br />Zappa, Frank - Meets The Mothers of Prevention<br />Zappa, Frank - Apostrophe (')<br />Zappa, Frank - In New York<br />Zappa, Frank - Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch<br />Zappa, Frank - Waka/Jawaka<br />Zappa, Frank - Orchestral Favorites<br />Zappa, Frank - Studio Tan<br />Zappa, Frank - The London Symphony Orchestra<br />Zappa, Frank - Sheik Yerbouti<br />Zappa, Frank - Outside Now Again<br />Zappa, Frank - Joe's Garage Act I<br />Zappa, Frank - Joe's Garage Acts II &amp; III<br />Zappa, Frank - You Are What You Is<br />Zappa, Frank - Zoot Allures<br />Zion I - Cheeba Cheeba (Feat. Aceyalone)<br />Zodiac Disco Alliance<br /><br />7"<br /><br />Bowie, David/Billy Corgan - Live NYC 1997<br />Brady, Christian/Amina Althea - Split<br />Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby<br />Care Bears - Friends Make Everything Better<br />Cash, Johnny - Hey Porter<br />Chainsaw Kittens - Grandaddy's Candy<br />Cheech &amp; Chong - Earache My Eye<br />Crunk's Not Dead Compilation<br />Dead Moon - D.O.A.<br />Disney Discovery Series - Counting Fun<br />Dylan, Bob - Lay Lady Lay<br />Grand Funk Railroad - We're an American Band<br />Gremlins - The Last Gremlin (2 copies)<br />Gremlins - Gremlins - Trapped (3 copies)<br />Gremlins - Escape From the Gremlins (2 copies)<br />Gremlins - Gizmo and the Gremlins<br />Gremlins - The Gift of the Mogwai (2 copies)<br />Gumball - Whatcha Gonna Do<br />Instrumental Ward - Fluid<br />International Submarine Band, The - LHI Singles<br />Jud Jud - No Tolerance For Instruments<br />Lennon, Sean - Home<br />Moby - That's When I Reach For My Revolver<br />Muppets Take Manhattan, The<br />Neverending Story, The/L'Historie Sans Fin - Themes<br />Nirvana - Total Fucking Godhead<br />Pasties, The - Bikes Are Sexy<br />Pearl Jam - Bu$hleaguer<br />Pete's Dragon<br />Potter, Grace &amp; the Nocturnals - Ah Mary<br />Radiohead - There There<br />Smashing Pumpkins, The - Cherub Rock<br />Smashing Pumpkins, The - Disarm<br />Webley, Jason/Reverend Peyton - 2 Bottles of Wine<br />Yes, Oh Yes - Social Science<br />Zappa, Frank - I Don't Wanna Get Drafted<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-465577087456124300?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-36025718710620075852008-12-11T14:20:00.000-08:002008-12-11T16:40:57.982-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SUGzBkItuBI/AAAAAAAAAEA/yCPT-y36eQw/s1600-h/DSCN1366.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SUGzBkItuBI/AAAAAAAAAEA/yCPT-y36eQw/s320/DSCN1366.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278697077716400146" border="0" /></a><br />This is my magic sign. It got me into every show that I wanted to see in Paris for exactly €0.00.<br /><br />This list includes:<br /><br />Rock the Bells featuring Mos Def<br />Jolie Holland<br />Sigur Ros<br />Uffie<br />Femi Kuti<br /><br />and<br /><br />Leonard Cohen<br /><br />I got to see Leonard. Cohen. in. Paris. for. FREE.<br /><br />Thank you magic sign. Who wants to touch it?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-3602571871062007585?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-8872314587928055952008-11-27T15:18:00.000-08:002008-11-27T15:32:59.179-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SS8uIMjmbYI/AAAAAAAAAD4/XFfOLxP3eWA/s1600-h/dollar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SS8uIMjmbYI/AAAAAAAAAD4/XFfOLxP3eWA/s320/dollar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273484407018515842" border="0" /></a><br />Friends,<br /><br />While we are on the verge of the blackest Friday of the year, I must urge ya'll to not buy X-mas presents. In the midst of this economic crisis with no foreseeable end, does it really make sense to spend money on things that are truly not needed? It may be hard to explain your family and friends why you are not buying gifts, especially when it comes to children who have gotten used to it over the years. Use this as an opportunity to explain what has happened to the economy, and how they are going to have to get used to a different lifestyle altogether. It doesn't mean that you can't do something nice. The spirit of giving lives on, even if the economy dies.<br /><br />Draw a picture. Make a card. Record some songs for loved ones. Sculpt something. Write a poem. Make a wire creature. Carve a toy. Paint it. Make a mix CD. Perform in your living room for your family. Juggle. Do a magic trick. Write a story. Help someone with a project. Bake a cake. Teach some dance moves. Play a game. Give someone a kiss. Do someone else's chore. Make a nice meal.<br /><br />Buying things is an empty gesture. A compulsory ritual. A capitalist mandate. And most of all it will hurt you and your family.<br /><br />Don't buy X-mas presents. This year or any year.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-887231458792805595?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-26089235019935072842008-11-24T14:56:00.000-08:002008-11-24T16:38:32.955-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SSsy9M3zCpI/AAAAAAAAADw/guIVfc3hMu8/s1600-h/IMAGE_004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SSsy9M3zCpI/AAAAAAAAADw/guIVfc3hMu8/s320/IMAGE_004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272363815775963794" border="0" /></a><br />Well, it's been a while I know, and my pathetic excuse for this is the fact that my computer's adapter broke, and I haven't had access to an English keyboard in a while. I would begin typing, and due to lack of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">proficiency</span> on a French keyboard, I would get frustrated and give up. Well I finally figured out my adapter situation - bought a 12 dollar replacement off of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ebay</span>, and I'm back in business. The irony, however is the fact that over a month of using a French keyboard has made my brain adjust to it, and now that I'm back on the English keyboard I'M MAKING MISTAKES!!! Now, just how in the FUCK is that possible? How do I unlearn 20+ years of typing in just over a month?? Is my brain really so degraded?<br /><br />So after Swansea, I made my way over to Dublin, Ireland via the discount airline <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">RyanAir</span>. My decision to go to Dublin was totally <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">spontaneous</span>, and totally based on the fact that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">RyanAir</span> was running a 5 Euro flight deal! Originally when I bought my ticket to London clear back in May (a round trip flight on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">RyanAir</span> for $13) the plan was to fly back to Frankfurt from London. But I looked into my options for getting back to London and became discouraged... Hitchhiking is obviously the cheapest route, but again, it's NEVER CERTAIN. I didn't want to risk not making it back to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Stansted</span> on time and thus sacrificing my return ticket - a costly mistake. A train ride from Swansea to London can run 100 Pounds or so, and a bus would not be much less. So after stumbling upon this amazing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">RyanAir</span> deal, I figured out that flights from Bristol to Dublin, Dublin to London, and London to Nantes, France would only cost me a mere 15 Euros! Why wouldn't I do this? Not only get back to France for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">cheeeeap</span>, but get to spend a few days in Dublin? Hells yea!<br /><br />Dublin was really nice. Very green, and very rainy. I stayed with a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">couchsurfing</span> host named Raff who was a cook and shoved awesome plates of food in front of me every night. We listened to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">NOFX</span> and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Ramones</span> and drank Guinness. I walked around the city a lot while he was at work. Found some record stores with very poor selections. Not that I had money for records anyway. <br /><br />While in Dublin, I get in contact with a chap named <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Raja</span> on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">couchsurfing</span> who is renting out one half of a flat in Paris for 350 Euros a month. I contact him, and seal the deal. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Ahhhh</span>, my dream of living in Paris - finally becoming a reality. <br /><br />After flying from Dublin to London, and almost MISSING my flight to Nantes (why oh why did I get a connecting flight on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">RyanAir</span>? They have great deals but you should NEVER, EVER connect with them - just trust me), I was back in France. This time, only 1 night in Nantes because I must get back to Paris to immediately begin the application process for another Russian Visa! I'm headed back to Moscow for a Halloween festival! <br /><br />I stay with a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">couchsurfing</span> host named Anthony - a radical college student with a taste for alcohol, marijuana, and hip hop. After <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">prefuncing</span>, we head to a free hip-hop/funk show on campus. Good times, good band, DANCE! Anthony and his friends are <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">reaaaaly</span> into partying. I think that's all I'm going to say about that experience...<br /><br />In the morning I hop out onto the road and hitch to Paris. Only 3 rides. I take the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">RER</span> to my new flat out in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Montreuil</span>, which is an east side suburb of Paris<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreuil,_Seine-Saint-Denis<br /><br />I meet <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Raja</span>, and he explains to me the specifics of this particular arrangement. He is from India, and is a business intern working for a media company. He is engaged in a flat exchange with a 68 year old French woman with a thing for Indian culture. She is in his place, and he is in hers. I am not technically supposed to be there, sharing a flat with him. She is not supposed to know. This is fine with me because I don't want to go <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">thru</span> the hassle of talking to landlords or having to sign paperwork... The flat is only available to me until Dec. 10, at which point, the woman will return and I must be out. This gives me 2 months to find a source of income, and another place to live. <br /><br />I begin the process of attaining a Russian visa, and look for a job in Paris. After a week and a half, I am already growing very pessimistic being told by potential employer after potential employer that I really ain't shit in France without a work visa. How do you attain a work visa? By getting a job. How do you get a job? By attaining a work visa. You're damned if you do and you're damned if you <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">don't</span>, and I am most certainly DAMNED. Nevertheless, I have a couple of job interviews coming up. <br /><br />But first it's off to Utrecht, Netherlands to meet up with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Henk</span>, my new buddy from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">couchsurfing</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Gigswapping</span> (an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">internet</span> community of musicians that help each other get gigs.) He is letting me <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">couchsurf</span> at his place, and we have a gig in Amsterdam. There is also a gig in Frankfurt the following day, which <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Henk</span> (who goes by the performing name Skiff), <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Channah</span> (a wonderful Dutch singer/songwriter from Amsterdam), and I will be traveling to. <br /><br />The Amsterdam show gets TRIPLE booked by mistake - there's our gig, a birthday party with a funk band, and an 80's night. Sigh. I am the only one who gets to play out of the 3 of us, because we get hustled off of the stage by the funk band (who only perform covers, by the way). <br /><br />The next day we rent a car to travel to Frankfurt. I am the only one with a valid drivers licence (a US driver's licence which we are all *kinda sure* is also legal here in the EU), so I get to be the captain of this here shitty American <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">vessel</span> (a Ford). It was a lot of fun driving in Germany - there are no speed limits! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Channah</span> remarked that it didn't seem like it took any time at all to get there, and I explain that she was sitting in the backseat blissfully unaware of the speedometer, on which the needle was consistently in the 200 Kilometers per hour range. He he. He he. <br /><br />One thing I did not mention is that my guitar has been hanging out in Frankfurt at Fee's house since I was last there (or did I mention that in my last blog entry? I can't remember now.) This is because <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">RyanAir</span> doesn't charge you for a carry on bag, but they do charge 25 Euros per flight if you want to bring a musical instrument (like a guitar). So that hunk of wood would have cost me 100 Euros had I brought it, and the damn thing wasn't even worth that much to begin with. So it got to stay in Germany. I used other people's guitars in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Ponterdawe</span> and Amsterdam. <br /><br />After recovering my old road weary Fender, it was off to the gig. It was in this underground warehouse venue, which is HUGE. It would make a large crowd look small, and made the tiny Sunday night crowd look <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">UBER</span> small (like how I threw some German in there?) But it ended up being a fun and light hearted, very intimate show with all 3 of us getting 2 sets apiece. The the night was concluded with going over to Verena's (the organizer of the show) house for beer and YouTube videos. She taught me the secret as to why all Germans LOVE David <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">Hasselhoff</span>. And it'll go with me to my grave. So don't even think about asking. We all <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">couchsurfed</span> at her place.<br /><br />The ride back to Utrecht was even shorter than the ride there, and I was very quickly shuffled over to the bus station to catch the last bus to Paris. Yes, I sprung for a bus ticket, because I really didn't want to miss my job interviews. This bus fare was some of my last remaining funds, so I had BETTER get one of those jobs.<br /><br />At the first job interview for an English teaching gig, the interviewer didn't even bother to show up. I called her to see what the hell was the deal, and she basically laughed at me and told me I could never get a job in France without a work visa. Yea, good thing she told me that BEFORE scheduling an interview that she flaked on. The second interview went well, and I thought for sure I'd get the job. It was phone work and they needed someone to speak English. I can be the English speaking monkey if need be. Piece of cake. Well, I never got a call back. Fuck em' Looks like I'm busking from now on.<br /><br />I did manage to land a gig reading a manuscript for a novelist hoping to publish. He wanted feedback and was willing to pay 15 Euros for it. But first, I've got to go play a gig in Moscow!<br /><br />So it was Moscow part 2, with all of the predictable debauchery. I was flown all-expenses-paid on Aeroflot to play this crazy ass Halloween festival:<br /><br />http://www.samhain-fest.ru/<br /><br />Stayed with Sasha again. Drank vodka and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">cognac</span> again. Went to Paul's studio again. Admired the the unbelievable (that word is thrown around a lot, but in this case I mean it QUITE literally, as in you really can't believe it) beauty inherent in ALL of the young Russian women. Wow. Wow. <br /><br />At Paul's studio I get to rehearse with the band that has been set up for me - a bassist, drummer, and accordionist. It sounds good. Ivan, the promoter had sent them mp3s beforehand, so they already had a feel for the material. After a couple of hours, I felt relatively confident. <br /><br />The show was an absolute riot. With all of the insanity of Halloween (in Moscow) coupled with the the absolutely SILLY amount of liquor that Russians consume, it was one hell of a night. It was a venue the size of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">Showbow</span> in Seattle and sold out. The other bands and dancers were really incredible. Sasha brought another guitar, which I assumed was for a friend of his to use. I ask him about it, and he says "no - it's for you. TO SMASH!" <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">WHAAAAAT</span>???? I get to smash a guitar??? I am a guitar smash virgin - and on that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">Hallow's</span> eve, my cherry was popped. At the end of our set (during which I was having guitar issues, which made the action even more meaningful and appropriate) I smashed that fucker to pieces at the end of an epic "Impossible Game". The audience (who had just seen hours of folk music and Irish dancers) were absolutely speechless after this apocalyptic hip hop song followed with a guitar being smashed to pieces. After they came to, they (to quote Wesley Willis) "roared like a lion". <br /><br />My unusual performance was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">followed</span> with a hell of a lot of vodka, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">cognac</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">absinthe</span>, and making out with HOT HOT Russian women in sexy Halloween costumes. It was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">ok</span> I guess. ;) And I got paid a little extra, for a job well done. I did not wake up until about 5 in the afternoon the next day. The rest of the time in Moscow was spent drinking, going to concerts, watching movies (Trans-Siberian Express and Wall-E, both dubbed in Russian), and hanging out with Sasha, Shane (my drummer), Ivan, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">Fabienne</span>. Sasha's house is full of old junk, and during my spree of picture taking (which can be seen at my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_47">Flickr</span> page: http://www.flickr.com/strayney ) I find a stack of old Russian records. I am salivating over them, having developed a fondness for Russian pop from the 70's and 80's. Sasha tells me I can have them (!!!!!!) because they just sit around his house collecting dust, and he has no turntable. I eagerly accept his offer. Among the Russian pop records is a curious find (which I have no idea how it made it over to Moscow): an original pressing of the Crash Crew's first album on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48">Sugarhill</span> Records in perfect condition!!! Wow. Wow. Wow. Mother Russia TRULY loves me. And I think I have a thing for her too... In fact I've been invited back, next summer, to play music. I think I'll go. Assuming the US is not AT WAR with Russia. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49">Sheesh</span>.<br /><br />I fly back to Paris and take a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_50">looooooooong</span> nap. I wake up and meet with the novelist who gives me his manuscript. I finish it within 3 days and give him his promised feedback. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_51">Coincidentally</span>, I also ran into him a week later while I was busking - and after I was done we went and got a beer together. <br /><br />The last month after the Russia gig has been spent doing a lot of busking, walking (which took it's toll - I pulled a muscle in my right foot, which kinda fucked up my plans), watching BBC World News, going to the weekly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_52">couchsurfing</span> quiz at the Lion's Pub, going to parties, and going to concerts. I have seen Mos Def, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_53">Sigur</span> Ros, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_54">Femi</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_55">Kuti</span>, and Jolie Holland <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_56">anf</span> got into them all with my magical sign (which reads "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_57">J'ai</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_58">Besoin</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_59">D'un</span> Billet <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_60">de</span> Miracle" or "I need a miracle ticket") Good times. Got some good shots of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_61">Sigur</span> Ros - who have a pretty insane visual show to decorate their unique atmospheric noise walls. <br /><br />I've had a lot of fun in Paris. It hasn't been quite the bohemian dream I wanted it to be, but it's been good nonetheless. Although, for being so <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_62">synonymous</span> with love, I have found Paris to be pretty lonely this time around. And hence I am returning broke and homesick to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_63">Bellingham</span> mid December. I really look forward to heading home. It's been quite an adventure, but I'm ready to be amongst friends and familiarity again. I miss you <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_64">Bellingham</span>.<br /><br />On a sour note, I found out that the woman who owns the flat I'm living in is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_65">pre</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_66">poning</span> her ticket, and returning on the night of Nov. 30 - which is actually my birthday. So I have to be out. Kicked out into the cold - on my birthday. I have a couple <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_67">couchsurfing</span> hosts set up for the remainder of my time in Paris before I get on the big jumbo jet to the belly of the beast. But my desire to stay and work at that literary wonderland that is Shakespeare and Co. has been rekindled - so I'm going to to see later this week if my luck has changed any since September.<br /><br />That would be a nice birthday present.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-2608923501993507284?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-35024771656025697112008-10-05T07:27:00.000-07:002008-10-22T07:29:57.545-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP84suBzYgI/AAAAAAAAACc/zE35AO6P9i0/s1600-h/DSCN0986.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP84suBzYgI/AAAAAAAAACc/zE35AO6P9i0/s320/DSCN0986.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259985230713020930" border="0" /></a><br />So I ended up staying in Munich for 3 more days, at a campground. I found out about said campground thru a girl named Duffy from NYC, whom I met at a hostel in Paris. Her and a friend were camping there as well - excited as hell about Oktoberfest. I had some fun the first 3 days of the fest, but throughout the next 3 it got very old. I stayed strictly for the good busking opportunity, and thru that I managed to make some extra cash. But I sacrificed my health and sanity as a result. The campground was kind of a nightmare. The ground was incredibly hard - so hard it was difficult to drive the tent stakes because of all the rock. Additionally when it was bedtime, you basically lay down on hard, hard stone. This, and the immense amount of drunk Oktoberfest patron noise made sleeping almost impossible. So for 3 cold days, I got maybe an hour of sleep a night (if that). I also caught a cold, which caused me to bail on busking for one of the additional days so that I could stay somewhere warm, drink vitamin C, and attempt recovery. At the campground bar, I experienced some real bullshit - fights, people being beaten by large Polish security guards, incredible rudeness, and an overall horrible vibe. I was at a table with a bunch of Australians, and one of the girls was freaked out by a drunk guy who had been following her around and watching her all night. She was tired and wanted to go to bed, but was afraid to walk back to her tent in fear of the guy following. So a few of us offered to escort her back, and sure enough, the asshole followed. Myself and another guy confronted him and gave him an ultimatum: "fuck off and walk away". He did this, but then tried sneaking around and following again. We walked towards him, and that's when he got the hint and went another direction. We quickly smuggled the girl back to her tent. Such bullshit! I hate having to deal with situations like that. But the girl was very gracious, and I was happy to help her out. But this experience added to my eventual loathing of the Oktoberfest activities. I did genuinely enjoy myself when I was at the fest with real Bavarians, but the drunken tourists ruin everything. Go figure.<br /><br />But the one positive thing that came out of the campground experience was the fact that I managed to get a song out of it. The campground is located right next to the Munich zoo. I had this fantasy of the animals getting loose and wreaking havoc upon the drunken campers. The song, naturally, is entitled "Oktoberfest Campenplatz Zoobreak Massacre". The thing practically wrote itself.<br /><br />So then I headed to Frankfurt via hitchhiking. Rode with an Italian, a Greek, a Czech Lorry driver and some German college kids. It was easy, but took a long time. I made it to my couchsurfing host Fee's flat. She's a real sweetheart. So incredibly kind hearted and hospitable... She's a singer, photographer, and music enthusiast - so we had a lot to talk about. She's also very smart and good to talk politics with her.<br /><br />She tells me there's not much to do in Frankfurt, and upon exploration of the town, I confirm this. Lots of banks, lots of newer buildings. All of the old buildings were bombed and destroyed during WWII, so it doesn't have the same charm as many European cities. But it had some nice artistic surprises which were fun to discover. I also saw a herd of wild rabbits in a park! On the second night, Fee and I met up with a Persian couchsurfer who had just moved to Frankfurt for school. It was fun talking with him about music, computers, and international relations. He's very easy to get along with, and we both agreed that the tension between the US and Iran is absolutely ridiculous.<br /><br />The last night with Fee was spent talking, eating, helping move a bed up 8 flights of stairs, and doing internet stuff. I left at 1am to catch the last Metro to the central station where I would catch a bus to the Frankfurt Hahn airport at 2:30am (the ride takes 2 hours - the airport is actually not anywhere near Frankfurt. It's halfway to Luxembourg!) Then the plane took off at 6:20am and I crossed the channel over to London, England. From the Stansted airport I hitchhiked west, destination: Swansea, Wales. Objective: kick it with my good friend Graham Isaac, studying at Swansea University. The excursion took about 9 hours, and I made it to Swansea by 4:30pm.<br /><br />I was having difficulty contacting Graham, and called the pub that he works at only to find he was going to be there at 8:30. So I made my way down there to surprise him. Graham, in typical casual Graham fashion walks up and not looking the slightest bit surprised says "Oh good, you found this place!" I hung out while he worked his 3 hour shift, and got to know some of his friends. Then after he was done, we all made our way to Mozart's which is Grahams local hang out bar. They were having an open mic, so I got to play a few songs. That night I slept real good, only having had 1 hour of sleep the previous night.<br /><br />The next day, Graham and I went to breakfast, and then he showed me around his campus. I left him to get some work done, and went to hang out in downtown Swansea. To get to the Center, I walked along the massive beach that Swansea is situated upon. How great it would be to live in a town that has a beach like this... That night, Graham, some friends of his, and I went out to a couple of clubs. One is called Sin City, and it's mostly a concert venue, but on this particular night it was straight up popular, commercial DJ music. We mostly got drunk and observed the ridiculous college crowd gettin' down to Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Nickelback, and other horrible artists. But when the DJ played "Lithium" by Nirvana and "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine, all hell broke loose. All of us were up on our feet, jumping and screaming the lyrics at the top of our lungs. Later, I find out that Graham's friend Anne (who was outside smoking) had been knocked to the ground by a club patron who was in the process of being forcibly ejected. Poor Anne was in the line of fire, and fell, head first into the concrete - knocking her unconscious for a few seconds. Security called an ambulance, and Graham escorted her to the hospital so they could check out her head. So I was whisked off to another of Graham's friend's house awaiting the news. At about 4:30am, Graham and Anne return. She is fine, but has a big bump on the noggin, and a headache. Graham and I crash over there.<br /><br />In the morning, we go to the Chattery for breakfast. It's a nice little diner that hosts intimate 60 person acoustic shows by night. I'm going to try and get a show there... Graham had to work that evening, so his roommate Howard and I took off to Pontardawe for my gig at the Pontardawe Folk Club. It was a lot of fun. The club meets every week in the upstairs of an old pub. As I predicted, the club sits in a circle, and take turns sharing songs with each other. I was the "featured act" and I got to play about 9 songs for the group, which went over extremely well. It was a crowd of mostly older people, but they could appreciate what I had to do none-the-less. Howard was invited to do a song, so he sang an old tune he wrote about a bag-less vacuume cleaner. Very amusing. The people there were very kind, and invited me to come back, so I think it was a success. They also passed the hat, so I made a little bit of cash as well!<br /><br />Yesterday was pretty mellow, except for the weather - which was hellish. I will forever think of Swansea as the town where umbrellas go to die. I lost my 3 Euro umbrella that I bought in Munich to the raging South Wales winds. The 1 Pound umbrella I purchased to replace it lasted only half the walk between the center and Graham's house. Last night was spent getting to know some more of Graham's friends, and attending a movie night. We screened Avatar, Aeon Flux, The Day Today (hilarious), and Gross Pointe Blank. Then we walked back to Graham's house in the cold, cold Swansea rain. I guess it rains more here than anywhere else in the UK. Go figure.<br /><br />Graham and I have really enjoyed spending time together and catching up. Although he has a life and stuff - school, a job, friends - he has devoted a fair amount of time to kickin' it with me, and I've been loving it. I have been a little lonely out on the road, going from new city to new city, meeting new people all the time, etc. I LOVE meeting new people, but it was really nice to see a face from the old country - particularly Graham's. He's someone I always want to keep in contact with. He has helped me at many points in my life, and has been a great friend. I am glad he can still be a part of my life.<br /><br />Tomorrow I am headed to Dublin! Why? Why not!<br /><br />Stay tuned...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-3502477165602569711?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-3033812946354671432008-09-26T07:26:00.000-07:002008-10-22T07:27:06.114-07:00Hey friends,<br /><br />I've been keeping up on the US financial crisis, and I must say, wow. Wow.<br /> <br />I am in Europe, and will be til' February. I chose this particular time period to leave the US, because I felt like some big shit was about to happen. And I don't believe that we are anywhere near the peak of the shit mountain, either.<br /> <br />I am truly sorry about everything that's happening, and I want to send my sincerest condolences to you and yours in the US. If the financial crisis is affecting you and your loved ones, please be strong, and endure in the best way you can.<br /> <br />And don't think that any of this is not affecting me, I've still got my money in a US bank account, and even though I am capable of making money here in Europe, my safety net is shrinking and devaluing. Plus I will be back soon enough, having to deal with the shit along with you.<br /> <br />Bad as it may be, this really is an amazing opportunity to re-evaluate the way that we all live, and try to learn from the mistakes of the past. Furthermore, we can use these newfound realizations to effect change and attempt to create a better future for generations to come. This, however, will require a DRASTIC change in lifestyle - a reality that we MUST get used to, or perish.<br /> <br />It's time to re-evaluate our die hard American beliefs in capitalism and statism. I don't ever claim to know the answers, and I'm certainly not meaning to sound boastful and arrogant - I'm pretty much just as stupid as everyone else who has grown up in the USA. But capitalism and statism have failed us and failed us and failed us. There's got to be a better way. What way is that? Let's figure it out together. We need to shed the infrastructure thats endangering us, and pave the road for a new reality.<br /><br />Those of you who know me best know that I am incredibly cynical and pessimistic most of the time. I have been known to say "we're totally fucked" on many occasions. But I woke up this morning to the sun peeking out from behind a fluffy white cloud, and I thought to myself "you know - if there is any hope for us, I would like to be an active participant in bringing it about."<br /><br />So come on people - let's change. Change or die. Must change or die.<br /> <br />YEEEEE HAWWWWW!!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-303381294635467143?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-38606830408587878072008-09-25T07:23:00.000-07:002008-10-22T07:25:54.481-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP83o-NCNSI/AAAAAAAAACU/1k6oM2IeRVg/s1600-h/DSCN0953.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP83o-NCNSI/AAAAAAAAACU/1k6oM2IeRVg/s320/DSCN0953.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259984066823992610" border="0" /></a><br />In order to practice for my big gig at the folk talent competition thingy, I went busking. I did it right next to the Notre Dame cathedral, and also outside of what I later found out was a day care of some sort. There were many people bringing kids in strollers out, and I think the kids enjoyed my music the most (or at least they seemed to, because most of them were dancing!) I made about 15 Euros in 1 hour. Not bad.<br /><br />Then I went to go meet up with Ivan from Moscow, who was in town visiting a girlfriend of his. We went and grabbed something to eat, and talked for a while. Then we walked around in search of the venue "Globo" where this competition would be taking place. After getting slightly lost, we find it. We're about an hour early, so we sit around listening to soundcheck. I meet Nicholas Ullman, the organizer of this party. He's a character - always in a different crazy outfit at every party. This time he was in a bad old tuxedo from what looked like the 70's, and a fake mustache and top hat to go with it. He's the kind of guy who is well connected, and everyone who attends this party (which was a fair amount of people) knows him.<br /><br />So the event gets started, and the contestants are drawn randomly from a hat. The judges are mostly Paris music scene people, some journalists, some socialites. All hip, and dressed like Parisians. I begin noticing that the contestants who are drawn make their appearence on stage, guitar in hand, just seconds after Nicholas reads their name. This leads me to believe that the names are not, in fact, being drawn randomly, and sure enough I go backstage to find out that they are cheating. So I have to stand back there and bug them periodically about my turn. I meet a guy backstage who shares my enthusiasm for Terence McKenna. Finally, it's my turn. You only get one song, one chance to woo these judges. I choose "Devoured by Sum'n Purdy". Seeing as how this is a "folk" competition, I figure this song has enough energy, and is just strange enough to grab people's attention. People are really into it. The first 3 rows are dancing. Usually I assume this is more because of drunkenness than it is for enthusiasm about my music. But people are having a good time, so mission accomplished. I get many good comments afterwards, from members of the crowd, and from the judges. Most of the other contestants are playing French pop songs (originals, I hope), and are not in any way "folky", with a couple of exceptions. I suppose "Devoured" is not exactly traditional Folk either, but at least it is along those lines. I did not win. But I felt good about my performance, and I think I did allright in the eyes of the judges. The best part of the experience, was meeting some cool Parisians, and making new friends and connections in the music scene...<br /><br />The next day, I begin hitchhiking to Strasbourg. The decision to go to Strasbourg was somewhat spontanious, but I want to check out as many French cities as possible. Also, Strasbourg is inbetween Paris and Munich, which is where I'm headed next. I take one of the local trains about 25 kilometers outside of the city on one ticket that I bought to ride the Metro for 1.60. At the turnstile for the local train, the machine accepted my Metro ticket and I thought everything was hunky dory. But when I arrive at my destination, there are Control officers (ticket checkers), and they say that I needed to get another ticket for the local train. If that is the case, then why did the damn machine accept my damn ticket?? They let me slide but say normally I would have gotten fined 25 Euros. Thanks guys. The service station I hope to get picked up from is a couple kilometers down the road, so I have to hike through pricker bushes and nettles to get there. Ow. Also, though my bag is small, and my tent and sleeping bag are light, it is still painful to carry it all for that distance. The weight adds up. At the service station, I wait about an hour for a ride, and I am picked up by a German delivery driver. He's into goth stuff, and listens to a lot of dark German electronic rock. He introduces me to a band called Welle: Erdball who make all of their music with samples of Commodore 64 sounds. Brings back memories of the old family computer. He drops me off at another service station. This time it takes me about an hour and a half, but a trucker picks me up. He's headed to a city called Mulhouse, which is about 60 kilometers south of Strasbourg. He speaks very little English, so we don't talk much. By the time we make it to the service station nearest Mulhouse, it's about 10:00 at night. I decide to camp instead of trying to find a night ride (which is damn near impossible) It's a pretty nice night, so I decide to sleep under the stars. I threw my bags into some bushes, and slept in a field in my sleeping bag. I slept surprisingly well that night. In the morning around 8am, I get back on the road. I am picked up by an old man, who doesn't speak English. He takes me halfway and drops me off on the road. I kinda hate it when people do that, because it tends to be difficult to get a ride again. That, and it's also forbidden by law, so there's always the chance that cops are going to fuck with me. I walk about 2 kilometers to a roundabout, and get picked up by another old man who doesn't speak English. He takes me right into Strasbourg.<br /><br />I go to meet my Couchsurfing host, Jeff. Jeff introduces me to Carolne, a fellow couchsurfer who is also staying at Jeff's (well actually Jeff's friend Pascale's place, so Jeff is technically couchsurfing himself. Pascale is away on holiday, and has authorized couchsurfers at his place). After getting to know each other, Caroline and I take off into the city. I help her move something to her new flat which she's moving into soon. Then we go to a music festival! It had a diverse lineup, incuding some eastern European folk, a solo artist (Chanteur), and several hip hop bands. There was a DJ spinning trip hop in the bathroom (!), with an NES set up so people could play Super Mario Bros. while listening to him. I actually hung out in there quite a bit, out of my love for Trip Hop, Mario, and Urinals. Alas, we were tired and had to catch the last tram home, so we left around midnight.<br /><br />The next day was spent exploring the beautiful city that is Strasbourg. Lots of old buildings, and canals. There's a giant cathedral in the center of the city, which is quite a sight to behold. I went to the Museum of Modern Art (which is free!), and spent several hours there. It was pretty awesome. There are several Picasso pieces, amongst many other examples of modern art from the late 19th century up to the present. Saw a version of Rodin's "The Thinker", but not the famous one, of course. Then it was back to Jeff/Pascale's place for a mellow evening. Pascale returned, so I actually got to meet him.<br /><br />The next day I set out for Munich. I began at around noon. The best bet when hitching from Strasbourg is to take a city bus across the German border to a little town called Kehl. There's a road that leads to the Autobahn right down the center of town. It actually took a while, but I talked to a trucker who was headed about 10 kilomters down the road, and he would drop me off right at the junction. I had to walk a little ways from here to an on ramp, where I was quickly picked up by a German rock and roller, driving his newly purchased car. He dropped me off right on the Autobahn, and it was beginning to rain. Nobody was picking me up, and then lo and behold, the German police roll up. My saviours. They reprimend me and I play the ignorance card. "I didn't know it was forbidden to stand on the shoulder of the Autobahn!" They gave me a warning, but they did take my passport and scanned it into their system, noting that I will be fined if it happens again. Great, now I've got a record in Germany. Hehehe. They take me to the next exit, and from there I get picked up by a Bosnian delivery driver, who takes me 15 kilometers. Then I am picked up by a middle aged businessman, driving a pretty nice car. He's well off you can tell, and does business all over the world. What is this guy doing picking up a hitchhiker? Well, his (and many other people in his position) justification is that he used to hitchhike a lot when he was a young man. I love these people, cuz they know how it is. He stops for food and buys me a sandwich and coffee! He takes me almost all the way to Munich, dropping me off about 60 kilometers from the city. Then another businessman driving a nice car picks me up and takes me into the section of Munich where the Olympic games in 1973 were held. From there I took the Metro to my Couchsurfing host's place.<br /><br />My host's name is Eva, and she's really nice. Incredibly nice. We stay up talking and drinking beer. She has to get up early for work (she's a carpenter's apprentice), but is still eager to get to know me, so we go to bed late. The next day I set out to find internet, explore the city, and busk. Oktoberfest is happening, so it's a great oppurtunity for busking! I only did it for about an hour, cuz I got a late start, and I had to go meet Eva at 6pm. Still made about 15 Euros, though! After meeting Eva, we go to the Oktoberfest to meet up with another couchsurfer (from Bellevue, Washington!) named Mike. Mike is wasted. He's been drinking all day. Some of his friends (from Seattle, Eugene, and San Diego) are there, so we hang out with them and some German metalheads all night. Eva ends up inviting them all over to her place for a little after party. Everybody crashes there, on the floor. The next day, I hang out with Eva for a while, and then go busking again. This time I'm at it for a couple of hours and I made 35 Euros! Awesome. Time to go celebrate a job well done at the Oktoberfest. It's crazy. It's kind of like a big country fair, except with waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more beer. And all of the beer is served in GIANT steins. I meet a guy who is there with a bunch of friends, and they are all drunk and generous. They buy me beers. After 3 of these enormous steins, I get pretty drunk. I think anyone would. But I decide to call it a night, not wanting to get so drunk that I cant figure out the way home. I say goodbye to my new friends and head out. In the morning, I say goodbye to Eva who is going to work. I am going to post this blog entry and then hit the road. I'm going camping for a couple of days on my way toward Frankfurt.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-3860683040858787807?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-27826334208127611052008-09-18T07:21:00.000-07:002008-10-22T07:22:56.413-07:00...so I'm out of here for now.<br /><br />I already bought a plane ticket from Frankfurt to London months ago, anyway. I leave on that trip Oct. 1st. <br /><br />So I arrived in Paris as previously mentioned, and found someone to couchsurf with while staying at the Hostel. His name is Henry-David. He's an actor/photographer/musician, who is pretty well connected in Paris. He's been on the scene for a while, and seems to make his way into many events as a VIP. He is pretty cool, and I'm glad that I got to know him a little bit... I will stay in contact with him, for sure.<br /><br />I check back with Sylvia - owner of Shakespeare and Co. to see if there are any vacancies. Alas, it's a very busy time for them, and there's actually a waiting list! It's funny because I thought it would have slowed down a bit in September. Last time, when Inna and I stayed there in 2004, we came in July and were accepted right off the bat. I guess many more people know about the store now. No matter, I tell Sylvia I'll be back in October, and she says that it will be slower then. I make plans to travel to Strasbourg - I have found someone to couchsurf with for a few days. He's also organizing a couchsurfer meeting during my stay, so YEE HAW - I get to meet other French folk! I LOVE meeting French folk.<br /><br />But the night before I'm set to leave, Henry-David tells me that he's been invited to a party on Thursday involving a folk open mic. It's a competition, judged by a panel of Parisians, and the winner gets their own show in November. Henry-David encourages me to stay and compete. So I find another last minute couchsurfing host to stay with until Friday morning. Henry-David is cool, but he's very busy, and since my arrival was so last minute, I don't want to burden him - so I find another cool guy named Arno to stay with. Arno is a laid back computer programmer. I have just started getting to know him.<br /><br />I email the guy organizing the party - Nicolas Ullman - and he likes my music, so I'm in. It is an invite only event, so I couldn't have just shown up. Tonight is the party - wish me luck! I think I'll go busk to warm up.<br /><br />Tomorrow I leave for Strasbourg!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-2782633420812761105?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-80532527193407040622008-09-14T07:18:00.000-07:002008-10-22T07:21:07.224-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP82o7Y_J4I/AAAAAAAAACM/j_c5c8VllxA/s1600-h/DSCN0903.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP82o7Y_J4I/AAAAAAAAACM/j_c5c8VllxA/s320/DSCN0903.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259982966557190018" border="0" /></a><br />Well, my tent is coming in handy…<br /><br />I did wind up heading to Amsterdam, en route to Brussels for my show @ Maison Mai – Sept. 10. I know this little campground/hostel about 20 minutes outside of the city called Lucky Lake, which Inna and I stayed at in 2004. After taking the metro and walking out to this gas station area that I heard was a good place to hitch out of Copenhagen, I was picked up within about 30 minutes. Two ladies picked me up who were on their way to Arhus to see a specialist in summoning the dead. One of the women, who was in Brazil when her boyfriend died 2 months prior, was seeking to say a proper “goodbye” to her deceased lover. They took me all the way over to a truck stop near the triangular motorway junction on the east side of Jutland. From there, I hitched a ride from a Finnish rock and roller driving a semi truck. He was on his way to Bremen, Germany to pick up a flower delivery. He was cool. He lives in middle Finland in a very rural area – he’s got a well, an outhouse, the whole nine yards, and that’s the way he likes it. Working 6 months out of the year driving truck, he makes enough to live the other 6 months on his land – in peace.<br /><br />We make it to the Danish/German border, and he must rest for the night. The law requires truck drivers to be off the road for 10 hours. So here we are at a HUGE truck stop at 7pm, and I am going to try to find another truck heading towards Amsterdam. I ask the Finnish rock and roller if I can catch a ride with him in the morning if I can’t seem to find another ride. He tells me “yes”. So I search for a couple of hours, but I cannot find anyone going my way/leaving that night. I decide to camp nearby this truck stop, and resume my ride with him in the morning. It’s raining, and the best place I can find is basically a swamp – with very bumpy ground. Nevertheless, I pitch my tent and attempt to sleep. I got pretty wet.<br /><br />I wake up at 5:30 and head back to the dude’s truck. He’s still asleep. I wait for him to wake up. We grab a cup of coffee, and we’re headed to Bremen. He drops me off, and I’m immediately back out on the on-ramp, trying to get to Amsterdam. After a couple unlucky hours, I see a big black bus roll up. They’ve got the airbrushed image of a supercharged tractor on the side. “I have got to go talk to these guys” I say to myself. I approach them, and find out that they are Team Black Gold, tractor pullers from England.<br /><br />http://www.goldpullingteam.com/<br /><br />They are heading home after winning the European Championship! So they are quite giddy, and celebrating in their bad ass black bus. I ask if they would like to give me a lift, to Amsterdam, and after an hour coffee break they say tell me to climb aboard. Awesome. I’m riding with the European tractor pull champions!!! Ashley Middleton, chief engineer and team captain, takes me back to check out this mighty tractor with 4 jet engines – capable of running for a whole 10 seconds before it is in danger of running out of fuel. Whoa. I’ve ne’er seen a racin’ tractor before!<br /><br />They drop me off about 20 kilometers from Amsterdam, and after 2 more short rides and a Metro trip, I am in Amsterdam central. I know how to get to Lucky Lake from here. Before heading to Lucky Lake, I go to get my 2 favorite things in Amsterdam – Frites and a joint. You must do these things in Amsterdam. You DON’T have a choice. Then I go out to Lucky Lake which is a good 15 minute Metro ride from the central. Ahhhh, Lucky Lake, it’s nice to be back. I pitch my tent, and go to hang out with fellow LL’ers. After doing what you do in Amsterdam until about 4 in the morning, I hit the hey.<br /><br />In the morning, I pack up my tent and begin my adventure to Brussels. However (after buying a train ticket to ensure that I make it to my gig on time), I find out that there’s been a scheduling error, and that my gig is not on the 10th, it’s actually on the 12th. But the booker of the venue has offered his couch for the nights I am in Brussels. I have previously arranged to stay with some folks from couchsurfing.com for the night of the 10th… I board the train, and maybe a half an hour into the journey we hear on the loudspeaker that everyone must exit the train at the next stop – there’s a broken electrical wire and the train cannot proceed until the problem is fixed. So we get off, and I quickly meet a couple of upset travelers, who must be to their destinations on time. I borrow a girl’s phone to tell my hosts in Brussels that I will not be making it on time. Her and I get to talking. She’s originally from Washington DC, but her and her partner have been living in the Netherlands for a little while now. We end up hanging out the entirety of the ride to Brussels, which involves getting on a bus to travel to the other side of the afflicted rail, and then another train. Finally I make it to Brussels, and Audrey my couchsurfing friend is there to greet me. We go to her flat and I meet her boyfriend Yannick. They are both artists, and fucking amazing ones at that.<br /><br />Audrey’s site:<br /><br />http://www.myspace.com/audrey_alexia<br /><br />Yannick’s site:<br /><br />http://www.legoman.net<br /><br />They are super nice, and prepare a comfy fold out couch bed for me. In the morning I get up and chat with them for a while, and then I head out to explore Brussels. I like Brussels. It’s great. I get a really good feeling from it. It’s kind of like Paris, except not as big, and the feeling you get from it is that of a small community. It’s more kind, I suppose. I ran into a Yoko Ono art piece involving coffins with trees growing out of them. That night, Yannick and I went out to a bar to drink delicious Belgian beers. They have a few here…<br /><br />The next day I went to go get Frites and buy a new pair of pants. My Carharts are pretty ripped up and shabby looking, which may fly in NW Washington, but here in Brussels – it’s unacceptable. I manage to find a second hand pair for 10 Euro. Now I’m fashionable. Also – I fit into smaller pants! I dropped about 30 pounds on the poor traveler diet. I recommend it.<br /><br />I prepare for my show by recording some of my new songs onto my camera’s voice recorder. I have soooo many new songs, but I’m only able to put 6 on my new myspace page:<br /><br />http://www.myspace.com/strayney<br /><br />Check em’ out, and tell me what you think. I made this new myspace page for a future solo band, but right now it’s just my demo page. Yea, it’s pretentious to have more than one myspace page for your solo music, blah blah blah. Fuck you.<br /><br />My show (which was actually moved to another venue called la Filature) was awesome. It was held at this small house like venue – but with a stage and PA and all. The owner of the venue lives there, so it’s technically a house venue. There are a lot of these types of venues in Brussels. I share the bill with a band of really cool guys – who make very interesting proggie technical synth rock stuff. We end up going partying later. Overall it was a very fun night – and the best part was that people were actually listening to my music! It went over well – made me wish that I had CDs to sell. That night I slept good.<br /><br />In the morning I pack up and say goodbye to my lovely, lovely hosts. It’s been a real pleasure staying with them. I have made some permanent friends in Brussels. Couchsurfing.com kicks SO. MUCH. ASS! I get out of the city a ways taking buses, metros and trams. I started hitching, and<br />someone picks me up quickly. Then he drops me off at a gas station near Halle. It was raining and I was cold, but usually that does not deter me from sticking to it and staying on the road. But the next people<br />who picked me up had another hitchhiker with them - a girl named Angela from S. Korea! She was headed to a cheap youth hostel - 4 euros a night. So I decided (seeing as how it was already 4:30, and that probably would have put me in Paris after dark) that I was going to go to that hostel, and both of us would resume hitching in the morning. We make it to the hostel, and they are fully booked! So they tell us to go to another "youth hostel" which was a little ways away (up a hill), and when we arrived there, it was totally closed. We happened upon a door which was unlocked, and went inside. Then an alarm went off, and the caretaker (who was living next door, came to investigate.) He said we could not stay there, but we could camp outside, and he would feed us breakfast in the morning. Only in Europe could you be guilty of breaking and entering, and instead of going to jail you get a free breakfast! So I pitched my tent and we camped. In the morning, true to his word, the caretaker feeds us, and then drops us off at a gas station on the motorway. Hitching from there was a breeze - 3 rides. Now I'm in Paris. Angela is continuing on to Spain. I go to Shakespeare and Co. to ask if I can work again (I did in 2004). They are full for now, but I’m going to go back on Tuesday. I’m at a cheap hostel now, and will meet up with Ivan from Moscow and his friend tomorrow.<br /><br />I did it. I set out to make it from Shanghai to Paris by land, and I have arrived. I have fulfilled my goal. I am happy. I am content. I am in Paris!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-8053252719340704062?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-22852014910977723672008-09-07T07:15:00.000-07:002008-10-22T07:17:16.482-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP814WIWREI/AAAAAAAAACE/JCs-QxacXqw/s1600-h/DSCN0850.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP814WIWREI/AAAAAAAAACE/JCs-QxacXqw/s320/DSCN0850.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259982131921568834" border="0" /></a><br />I took this pic in Stockholm, and it's my favorite. Best picture I've ever taken. Look at it closely.<br /><br />The Flickr version is here:<br /><br />http://www.flickr.com/photos/strayney/2835969997/in/photostream/<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-2285201491097772367?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-76105097328506438852008-09-07T07:11:00.000-07:002008-10-22T07:14:48.347-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP81C0SllwI/AAAAAAAAAB8/PjCqSYGpFr0/s1600-h/DSCN0831.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP81C0SllwI/AAAAAAAAAB8/PjCqSYGpFr0/s320/DSCN0831.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259981212304643842" border="0" /></a><br />Hopped aboard the ferry to Stockholm, which was actually more like a cruise liner. That was cool, I suppose - I had never been on a real cruise liner before. And for 22 Euros, I got my own cabin with a bed, toilet, shower, etc. Pretty kush! It was a night trip, so I didn't really see many of the islands between Finland and Sweden. It felt good to stand on the deck, feel the wind, and breathe the ocean air.<br /><br />Then at 6am, we're in Stockholm, and I take the metro downtown. I am going to get ahold of my friend Gustav, whom I also met thru couchsurfing.com, and need to find a coffeeshop with wi-fi. This is when I really get to experience the difference in exchange rates. Sweden is still on it's original currency - the Krona. It's about 7 to 1 in comparison to the dollar. So Sweden's economy is doing MUCH better than the US', and therefore my money isn't worth shit. It costs 90 Krona to use the wi-fi at this particular coffeeshop. You do the fucking math. :(<br /><br />I take the metro (which is also ridiculously expensive) to Gustav's and literally get there as he is leaving his apartment for work. He was leaving a note for me. I got a chance to put my things inside of the apartment, and then I set out to explore Stockholm.<br /><br />Stockholm is a gorgeous city. I really, really like it. I had an amazing day walking around (in the sun!), snapping pictures, checking out record stores (I didn't buy anything - but I wanted to). That's about all I did, and I think my Flickr page describes the day better than I can with this blog. All in all, I walked for 10 hours or so. I then headed back to Gustav's and nobody was home. I had a chance to work on some of my new songs for a couple of hours. They are coming along. I like them. Gustav's boyfriend Magnus comes home, and and we get to talking. He's a cool, sociable guy who has a very active life. Then Gustav comes home, and we all stay up for a while talking. Both of them are very nice, and extremely hospitable. I wish that I had gotten to hang out with them more, but I got into Stockholm a day late.<br /><br />I get up very early to hit the road. Today I'm hitchhiking to Copenhagen. This ends up being an extremely long, exhausting day. It takes 15 hours and 10 rides to get from Stockholm to Helsingborg (which is on the Swedish side of Oresund). I met several interesting people, and got to ride in a semi truck for the first time. Played guitar and sang for a guy that was temporarily out of jail, but had to go back. It was interesting, but very tiring. My shoulders hurt.<br /><br />I take a ferry from Helsingborg to Helsingor, and then a train from there to Copenhagen. I get in about 1 in the morning, and immediately call Mette - my new friend from cs.com. She has been worried about me, because I hadn't contacted her. It took me langer than expected to make it to Copenhagen, and she was very relieved to hear from me. She is soooo great, she stayed up, gave me directions, and helped me make it from the train station to her house. Then we drank tea and chatted for awhile.<br /><br />In the morning, I get up and go exploring. I head to Christiania, which is an independent territory within the city limits of Copenhagen. Founded by hippies in the late 60's, Christiania is a self-governing countercultural hub known for it's extremely liberal residents. Read about it here:<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown_Christiania<br /><br />A very interesting place, but my first impression is that it is similar to a barter faire back in Washington. Except it's established, and it doesn't close. There is a yummy cheap Falafel stand there - word to the vegan wise.<br /><br />From there I went to the Centrum and walked around for a while. Witnessed the changing of the guards, which was amusing. Copenhagen is very touristy, so I tried to avoid the areas that were flooded with people, but it was difficult. Then after a while, it was time to meet up with my other friend Nadim, who invited me to play a set at a little festival being held in the commons of his dorm. Dorms in Europe are very different from dorms in the US, in that they are not connected to any school. They are off campus student houses that are more like apartments than anything. There is a bar set up, and the musicians have been allowed quite a liberal bar tab. More than I can drink, really. Especially if I want to play a halfway decent set. The organizers of the festival put me last on the bill, which meant that my set began at 1am. After a few bands and an electronic artist preceded me, and by that time of night people don't really want to listen to a solo acoustic artist. So, sensing this, and knowing that a DJ Nadim was going to start spinning dance music as soon as I finished, I cut my set short. I got a good response from the crowd, considering. In a little while, several folks who were chilling outside complimented me on my music, and invited me to come outside and play for them. I was more than happy to oblige. It was a good opportunity for me to play some new songs, which went over extremely well. These Danes enjoyed my music. Thanks ya'll for the encouragement.<br /><br />At 4am I crashed on Nadim's couch. We woke up at a quarter to 1 the next day. Ahhhh, felt good to sleep in. Nadim takes me out to go check out some things I missed the previous day. He's a really cool, casual guy. A film student, specializing in cinematography and photography. His website:<br /><br />http://www.nadim.dk<br /><br />He takes me to the botanical gardens, and then we head back to Christiania, because there were several parts I never found out about - the places where people live. About 900 people live here, and I got to see the way they live.<br /><br />Nadim and I part ways, and I head back to Mette's. I am sitting on her floor as she bakes a cake. Her Birthday is at midnight. Happy Birthday Mette!<br /><br />Wow! I'm actually caught up with my blog and my pictures!<br /><br />Where am I going tomorrow? >>>???<<<<br /><br />We'll see. Perhaps A M S T E R D A M<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-7610509732850643885?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-33802500122879594352008-09-04T07:07:00.000-07:002008-10-22T07:11:16.332-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP80awFDN7I/AAAAAAAAAB0/DPPkRFGBt_k/s1600-h/DSCN0800.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP80awFDN7I/AAAAAAAAAB0/DPPkRFGBt_k/s320/DSCN0800.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259980523979356082" border="0" /></a><br />My last blog entry may have caused some of you to worry (well, most likely not). I mean, after all I was stranded for a night in the dangerous, dangerous city of Helsinki, Finland. Ha! It was completely fine. The streets of Helsinki are very quiet at night, and people are very friendly. Actually, I stayed at the bar until 4am, and then moved to the bus station until 7am when the same exact bar opened up in the morning. Then I went back and resumed my internet activities. All in all I consumed 5 cups of coffee. I was tired, but quite allright.<br /><br />I contacted my friend Sakki (from cs.com) at around 10, and he was at work. His work was only a couple of blocks from the bar I was at, so he ran down and gave me an extra key, plus the directions to get to his apartment. He told me to sleep as long as I needed, and he would be home around 5. What a nice guy!<br /><br />I had no problems finding his apartment, and slept until his return. Then we hung out for a while, drinking beers, eating pasta, and getting to know one another. He’s a computer programmer who is working for the government. In Finland, every young man must do military service, which is hard to get out of. Sakki (against the wishes of his military family) opted for non-military service as an alternative, on the grounds that he is a conscientious objector. He is also a student, studying linguistics and computer programming, and designing websites for people on the side. He keeps himself busy.<br /><br />After a while, it was time to meet up with his friend Sini and go to a concert! Sept. 1 was the first day of the new school quarter, and there was a big celebration going on at the central student building. The band was Finnish with a lead singer from Brooklyn: Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators. As we are waiting for the band to begin, the DJ spinning beforehand puts on Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. I am amazed and pleased, because I didn’t know that Sharon Jones had reached the Finnish market. Turns out that Nicole Willis is affiliated with Sharon Jones, who is also from Brooklyn. Her show is amazingly similar (which is awesome, because I fucking love seeing Dap-Kings shows), and she’s also on Daptone Records’ European sister label, Tinnion. A good dose of funky soul music was soooo good for me at this point in my adventure.<br /><br />After the concert, we walked around Helsinki a bit, and then went back to the apartment. We were all tired, so we crashed. Sakki and Sini both had school and work in the morning, so they got up early but I slept in. When I awoke, I walked around Helsinki for 5 hours or so. The weather has been pretty bad the entire time I’ve been here, but it’s not unlike Bellingham, so I’m pretty used to it. Helsinki is a beautiful city, with lots of old buildings, parks, and wooden boats. Downtown sits upon the harbor, so a stroll along the beach is within a 10-minute walk. I enjoy breathing the sea air, and basking in silence. Helsinki is one of the quietest cities I’ve ever been to. It doesn’t even have the random pumping techno music coming from doorways that many other European cities do.<br /><br />Then I return to Sakki’s apartment, and we take it easy this night. Sini comes over, and we spend all night, eating, drinking, talking, and looking at funny shit on Sakki’s computer. Both these Fins speak exceptionally good English. So good, that if you didn’t know better, you might think that they were English. Most people in Finland speak good English, and they can tell that I do just from how I say “hello”. No one even attempts to speak Finnish to me.<br /><br />The next morning, I begin my journey to Stockholm. I bid these Finnish kids goodbye, and head out on the road. I am hitchhiking territory now, so I head to the E-18 and stick my thumb out. Within 15 minutes, I’m picked up by a man who is headed 20 kilometers to work in Espoo. He is Kurdish Iraqi, but has been living in Finland for a while. In the brief time we have to talk, we discuss politics (of course), and we are both in agreement that no matter who is in power – they are an asshole. Saddam is an asshole, Bush is an asshole. He lets me out, and bids me good day. What an omen! The first person to pick me up is an Iraqi.<br /><br />He drops me off in an area where the onramp to get back on E-18 is many kilometers away, so I can either walk or take a bus. I opt for the bus. And whaddya know, within 15 minutes, a bus pulls up that’s headed to Turku – the western port city which is my ultimate destination. The ride costs 20 Euros, but it’s worth it, because I’m trying to catch a ferry to Stockholm, and I have no idea when it leaves the harbor. I figure the earlier I get to Turku, the better. The ride takes 2 hours or so, and then I arrive at the harbor. I buy a ticket for the overnight boat, which costs me 22 Euros (what a deal – it’s a 10 hour boat ride all the way to Stockholm, and I get a bed!)<br /><br />So here I am waiting for the Ferry, which will board at 8pm. I don’t really want to explore Turku, because the weather is shitty, and it’s nice and warm in the terminal. There is no internet here, so I will post this entry as soon as I make it to Stockholm. Goodbye Finland!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-3380250012287959435?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-76229178958697502922008-08-31T07:03:00.000-07:002008-10-22T07:07:17.024-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8zW7jnFhI/AAAAAAAAABs/qS4SlnZM-Eg/s1600-h/DSCN0773.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8zW7jnFhI/AAAAAAAAABs/qS4SlnZM-Eg/s320/DSCN0773.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259979358829221394" border="0" /></a><br />*** David's note: I am currently stranded for the night in Helsinki, Finland. I got in early, and my contact here is out of town. I will be staying with him the next two nights, but tonight I have no place. So I found a bar that is open until 4am with wi-fi. I will use this as my opportunity to catch up on my blog. The rest of the night I will just stay up, hehe. ***<br /><br /><strong>Monday </strong><br /><br /><br />I arrive in Moscow. After buying a ticket to St. Petersburg for Saturday morning, I head to an internet cafe to contact my friend Ivan, whom I met thru couchsurfing.com. He has arranged for me to stay with his friend Sasha for the duration of my stay in Moscow. Ivan is busy until 5pm, so I spend the day at the cafe. A woman named Ramilla comes up to talk to me. She doesn't speak good English, but she is able to communicate with me that she is an aspiring model, singer and dancer. She has some pictures on a disc that she asks me to put on my computer (average pictures of her with her friends and whatnot). She needs help sending them to some company that may give her a modeling job. I tell her that I can help, but she needs to login to her email to send the pictures. She doesn't understand, and really has no idea how to work a computer, so there is some frustration along with flirting. She keeps giving me "the eye". We flirt in the only way possible - through body language. She gives me her phone number, and we arrange to meet the next day for a drink.<br /><br />5pm rolls around, and Ivan meets me at the cafe. He is a very nice fellow, who is involved in music booking and promotion. He was the one who invited me to play the festival, but we have come to the conclusion that it is impossible because of my visa issues. Too bad. He takes me to his flat, and I shower. We talk some about music, and then we head over to Sasha's house. Sasha lives in an old building which was built in the 19th century - a very unique and amazingly rustic old relic of Czarist Russia. Sasha speaks very little English, but it's ok because we have a lot in common. He is a musician, and is friends with MANY local musicians. He builds and repairs guitars as his profession. I ran into the right people. The internet rules.<br /><br />That night, his friend (a drummer) and his friend's (extremely drunk) friend come over, armed with gallon jugs of homemade Tequila and Whiskey. It's time to party. The occasion: it's Monday. Russians don't need an excuse to binge drink, it's just a cultural norm. They pour shots for me. "Will this shit make me blind?" I ask, to no avail. None of them speak good English (except Ivan, who has left at this point.) We play music and drink into the wee hours of the night. Good god, that liquor fucked me up. I slept good that night. Those two maniacs with the bottles were absolutely out of their minds, so I guess I was in good company. After every shot, the drunker of the two is always grabbing my head and sniffing my hair. I don't know what the fuck is going on. I find out later that this is a Russian custom. Go figure.<br /><br /><strong>Tuesday</strong><br /><br /><br />I wake up at 3pm, and immediately it's time to go over to Sasha's friend's house for more binge drinking. The occasion this time: a birthday party. It's for the lead singer of a band, and his bandmates are in attendance plus many other great musicians. One of them is exceptionally good at the 12 string guitar, and knows how to play every old blues song imaginable. Some of the partygoers know English, so naturally we discuss music music music all night long. Is there any other subject?<br /><br />The party winds down at around 10pm, so it's time for our posse to head to Sasha's house for (you guessed it) more binge drinking. On the street outside Sasha's flat, we run into a friend of his named Keith who has just obtained a new chess set. He challenges me to a game, and I accept. But I tell him "everybody knows that Russians are better chess players than Americans, so I will probably lose. And lose I did. After the game, we start discussing music. This guy is a bass player who plays Oi music (influenced by the work of German skinheads). This leads to a discussion about fascism. As he gets drunker and drunker he starts talking about his past. He confesses to being a fascist himself, and professes his hatred of minorities and gays. He even confesses to having had a hand in the murder of a black man in the metro two years ago(!!!!!) This conversation gets somewhat heated, but Ivan is there translating and keeping the peace. Ivan talks with Sasha, and then leans over to me and tells me that this guy is extremely drunk and is most likely spouting complete bullshit. Keith challenges me to another game of chess, but I decline. I do not play chess with fascists.<br /><br /><strong>Wednesday</strong><br /><br /><br />I wake up at 5pm. Damn. Wasted the day. But I know I'll probably be up all night tonight, because that's the way these folks roll. Today, Sasha is going to take me out and show me the town. We walk all around downtown Moscow, which is a fascinating place. I felt like I was dreaming. Nowhere that I have been thus far on the trip has made me feel this way. We go to the world famous Red Square and check out the Kremlin. Amazing architecture, and overwhelming history. I am thinking about the portions of Emma Goldman's autobiography "Living My Life" which focus on her time in Moscow during the beginning of the Soviet revolution. I imagine her going to the Kremlin to meet with Lenin. Speaking of, Lenin is everywhere in Moscow, along with Stalin and the hammer and sickle. They are very popular icons, despite the fact that the Soviet Union ended nearly 20 years ago. But many people still revere them and consider them important because of their roll in preventing the Nazis from taking over Russia.<br /><br />After Red Square, we head over to a recording studio owned by Sasha's friend Paul. Paul and Co. are in the office drinking champaign and Vodka. I ask if they are celebrating anything. Nope, it's just Wednesday. Paul shows me some projects he's been working on, engineering and also his own music. I show him my music, and he likes it, so we do a transfer. Then more drinking. A woman in his office seems to be fascinated with my hair, and wants to make me look like a Samurai (see Flickr page). I meet a guy named Leush, who is a somewhat popular Moscow artist in Belarus. We talk about collaborating in the future...<br /><br />Then some of the guys from the studio join Sasha and I for quiet, mellow evening of intellectual conversation. Just kidding, binge drinking and utter debauchery. I can't stay up as late as them this time, I'm getting tired. So I go to bed early - 4am. They stay up til 8.<br /><br /><strong>Thursday</strong><br /><br /><br />After waking up around noon and writing a bit while waiting for Sasha to wake up (which doesn't happen until 4pm), we head out so I can buy a map of the city. I haven't explored on my own yet, and I am also supposed to meet up with Ramilla. She postponed our meeting on Tuesday, and again on Wednesday, and I could not figure out why (it was hard to talk to her on the phone). So I explore, and end up at the same internet cafe I was at upon my arrival. Ramilla is supposed to meet me here at 7, and she's late. She finally makes it around 9, and when she gets there, it's time for her to leave. She's got to be home by 10 for some reason. So we walk and sing Beatles songs together for 20 minutes and part ways. I am convinced that she is insane, and the language barrier is only part of the reason why it was difficult to communicate with her. What a lousy date.<br /><br />I head to an Irish Pub called Dublin, where I have arranged to meet Sasha, Paul, and Ivan. They are there, and are drinking with the owner of the bar, who is in a band called Belfast. We exchange dirty jokes, and the owner buys me beer. Fun guys to hang out with. Mostly fluent English speakers, and knowledgeable of music. In walks Keith, with a sorrowful look on his face. He apologizes profusely for the other night, and seems genuinely sorry. He tells me that the rhetoric that he was spouting that night were a part of his past, but he no longer believes it, and is working hard to change himself. He also says that the murder confession was total bullshit, that he was just drunk and trying to get a rise out of me. He is pretty sober tonight, and I see a new side of Keith. Closing time, and Keith, Sasha, Ivan, and I head back to the flat for more conversation. By the end of the night, I am convinced that Keith is a good guy. He is living proof that people can change for the better. No matter how bad a person may seem, they are capable of changing. We shake hands, and I go to bed. I have to get sleep before my big show tomorrow night!<br /><br /><strong>Friday</strong><br /><br />Today is they day of my show at Proekt OGI, a popular 24 hour bar/cafe in downtown Moscow. I am excited, and spend many hours rehearsing, while Sasha looks over my guitar, and fixes some of it's small flaws - free of charge. Sasha is such a fucking cool guy. He lets me stay at his place, cooks me food, shows me the city, and works on my guitar. We head to the venue early for soundcheck and dinner. Proekt OGI is awesome. 500 or so capacity, in the basement of an old building. I have a table reserved for me and friends. After soundcheck, I order some delicious traditional Russian food and some French wine. I am given a 600 Ruble limit, which is a lot considering the affordable prices. There are many people here, and they are very excited to see me play. I guess there had been a couple of writeups in some local publications, and the idea of a folk/hip hop artist from the United States was appealing to folks, despite never having heard me before. The show is set to begin at 10:30pm. At 10:30 on the fucking dot, people are clapping and pounding tables - demanding I take the stage. Wow. This is a good crowd, and I haven't even touched my guitar yet.<br /><br />I begin my set, and the crowd is loving it. Boisterous cheer and applause after every song. I treat them to 3 hours of my voice, guitar, and computer. It goes over well. People are dancing(!), and buying me drinks left and right. After my set ends, people gather around to talk and get my autograph (I feel like a rockstar.) I felt confident with my performance, and this goes down as one of my favorite shows ever. The people want me to drink with them, so we stay up late conversing and downing exotic cocktails. The manager of the club comes over, thanks me for a great performance and hands me a wad of bills. I don't count it until later, but it ends up being 8000 Rubles (which is roughly 320 US dollars!) Awesome. The icing on the cake.<br /><br />Some folks from the club and I pile into Ivan's minivan, and head back to Sasha's to polish off the rest of the Tequila and Vodka we've been drinking all week. This time we stay up LATE. I mean all night. I get no sleep. A girl who is there catches my eye, and we end up walking around talking until the sunrise. I have a crush on her and she knows it. Thanks for a lovely morning, Jane. Please come visit me in the States.<br /><br />Ivan takes me to the train station. My train to St. Petersburg leaves at 10am. Good thing I have a sleeper car, cuz I'm goin' to sleep. I remember very little of this 8 hour ride. Before long, I am in St. Petersburg, talked up and described as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I can't disagree, it's stunning. Wow. Rivers and beautiful buildings everywhere. I marvel at this city which was the setting for my Grandparent's (on my Father's side) meeting and eventual romance. I wouldn't exist without this city. Thanks, St. Pete.<br /><br />So, I find out the day before that my performance at Laundry Bar is scheduled for 5pm. Oops, my train got to St. Petersburg @ 6. I am trying to find the venue, but I am horribly lost. I make it to Laundry Bar at 8pm, and there is a DJ spinning. It's not really much of a live music venue, it's mostly a chillout bar where people go to drink. Mine was kind of a spontaneous last minute performance. I apologize to the Art Director for my tardiness, and and he says no problem. This show was set up for me by a woman I met on couchsurfing.com, and she is long gone (understandably). This is a problem, because I am supposed to stay at her house that night. I don't have her phone number, so I send her an email telling her to please call the bar. The Art Director invites me to join him and his friends as they play Scrabble (with Russian characters). We get to talking, and they are all hip people, involved in the music and arts. A cool guy who speaks good English named Egor sympathizes with my situation, and invites me to stay at his place that night.<br /><br />We head over to another club who have a live Russian Reggae band playing. Then we take a cab to Egor's. Egor is a musician, and a writer for a couple of music publications. He shows me some of his toys (synthesizers, an MPC, etc.) I am salivating. I introduce him to some artists he might enjoy (he's into electro-avant jazz/ambient trip hop type stuff) like Critters Buggin' and Bug Jerome.<br /><br />The next morning we eat breakfast, and head off to try to figure out my situation. I need to get out of Russia before midnight because my visa is going to expire. It's Sunday so the buses to Helsinki are not as plentiful as usual. One bus is guaranteed to leave at 9:30pm, but that's cutting it damn close, because it takes 4 hours to make it to the Russian/Finnish border. He says there's one more place we can try, and we head there. Out of amazing, amazing luck, there's actually a bus leaving at 4pm which is in 20 minutes! What timing. I thank Egor for all of his help, and board the bus.<br /><br />The drive to Helsinki is beautiful. We go past many trees and rivers, and this is only the beginning. Finland has hundreds and hundreds of rivers and lakes. The border is a breeze, we are past in about an hour or so. No problems from either side. Take that, CANADA!!!!<br /><br />So now I am in Helsinki, Finland hanging out at Baker's Cafe drinking tons of coffee. It's gonna be a long night.<br /><br />And I have one thing to say: Ha ha, Samtop!!!!!!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-7622917895869750292?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-9222538658404698642008-08-28T06:59:00.000-07:002008-10-22T07:02:54.414-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8yds92rLI/AAAAAAAAABk/JRtg394RccY/s1600-h/DSCN0647.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8yds92rLI/AAAAAAAAABk/JRtg394RccY/s320/DSCN0647.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259978375660219570" border="0" /></a><br />Trans-Siberian Railway<br /><br />There may be a word in Russian to describe the ride upon the Trans-Siberian Railway, but thus far I have struggled to find one in English. The closest I can find would be “vast”, or “monstrous” (and I mean that in the cute Muppet monster kind of way.) It is the longest possible continuous train ride in the world, stretching from Vladivostok (Russia’s easternmost sea port on the Pacific) to Moscow, the capital. It takes 7 days to complete. Many people who ride it start in Beijing and take the Trans-Mongolian route, which takes you through Mongolia and you enter Russia maybe a fourth of the way thru the trip. I decided upon the entirety of the line, because I wanted to, and because China was not allowing departures to Mongolia out of Beijing during the Olympics.<br /><br />I enter my cabin on car #8, and it smells funny. It smells like a combination of fish, urine, and body odor (all of which I am sure have soaked into the cushions after thousands of past journeys). It’s a 4-berth cabin, but thus far I am the only one occupying it. Lights out comes quickly – the trip begins at 3:20am. In the morning I wake up and start the day with a cup of hot water. There is a faucet dispensing boiling water, and I make use of it several times a day. In Russia (and especially China), it is not recommended that you drink the tap water. It’s always good to boil it before consumption. This is especially important for foreigners like myself who would not be used to the bacteria in local water sources, and could make me very sick.<br /><br />The first 3 days I have the cabin to myself. It is amazing. A wondrous opportunity to create, and plenty of time for looking out the window and thinking. My muse is Siberia, and on this particular trip, Siberia inspired many Country songs. I knew there would be a mystique about this train that would inspire me to write, and for this gift I am forever indebted to the ol’ #239. I wrote something like 18 songs during the 7-day period, and as previously mentioned, most of them are Country-Folk. I played my guitar for good portions of the daylight hours, writing, practicing, and learning. I learned how to play a couple of Dylan tunes, “Positively 4th St.” and “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go”. I also began work on a new play.<br /><br />The scenery is (obviously) amazing. I mean it’s Siberia for Pete’s sake! It actually reminds me of the Northwest, or many parts of Canada. It’s on the same latitude, so it makes sense. Lots (and I mean LOTS) of Coniferous trees. Small towns are few and far between in eastern Russia, but as you move westward, the development is more prominent.<br /><br />We passed by Lake Baikal, which took a good 5 hours. It’s the deepest (and cleanest) lake in the world. I began seeing it during the daylight, and was still looking at it under the moonlight. I am fortunate to have seen it during sunset, which made for a very surreal scene. What a massive lake. Russia tests submarines there!<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Baikal<br /><br />The fourth night of the trip, I am joined in my cabin by a mother and daughter on their way to a city a couple of hours outside of Moscow. Looks like we’ll be getting to know each other quite well. They don’t speak much English (inevitably the daughter, maybe 17 or 18, speaks better English than her mother) so we don’t end up doing a lot of talking. They work on crossword puzzles most of the time, which inspired me to attempt creating a crossword puzzle of my own. I picked music as a theme (a subject I probably know the most about), and spent a long, long time working on this. It’s fucking HARD to make your own crossword puzzle. I am convinced that computers are used to create the ones you see in the New York Times and other publications. I got about halfway and gave up. Perhaps I will come back to it another day, but it’s already going to be extremely difficult to solve. I had to put some hella obscure references in there…<br /><br />The fifth day we are joined by a gigantic bearded Geologist named Aleksey. He can fall asleep at the drop of a hat. He feeds me vegetables. Other than his produce, I basically lived off of these little Chinese corn wiener snacks originally introduced to me in Beijing. They are shaped like little wieners, but they are made of corn (!). They have sort of a firm tofu like texture. I picked up about 40 in Haerbin. They are cheap and delicious. I also ate bread that I would pick up from vendors at the stops. You get maybe 2 or 3 stops per day, where you can get out of the car, walk around, breathe the fresh air, and buy food from makeshift kiosks.<br /><br />I met a German man with a cool mustache who had ridden his motorcycle from Berlin to Vladivostok! The trip took him 41 days, and was very treacherous. There were several sections of the adventure where there were no roads. There were parts where he had to walk his bike up gigantic mountain passes because it did not have enough horsepower to make it. Did I mention that this man is 65 years old? He was riding the train back, and his bike was already 3 days ahead of him, on a freight train. Retired fire fighter – very nice fellow.<br /><br />I met another mustached man who was extremely tall and played the Banjo. He was very good, and well versed in old Country and Bluegrass songs. I did not expect to see a banjo in Russia, and I gather that it is not a very popular instrument. The sight of a 7-foot tall mustached Russian man playing a banjo was slightly amusing. You could tell that he enjoyed showing off for the American.<br /><br />The last few hours on day 7 were the toughest to get thru. Most of the ride, you have accepted the fact that you will be onboard for a very long time, so you don’t really think about the clock. But when you know that Moscow is near, after having gone such a great distance, every minute feels like an hour. Finally we make it to Moscow Station.<br /><br />Ahhh….<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-922253865840469864?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-18794970257484294802008-08-25T06:55:00.000-07:002008-10-22T06:58:51.388-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8xLpEQfnI/AAAAAAAAABc/eColdhlE8A0/s1600-h/DSCN0630.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8xLpEQfnI/AAAAAAAAABc/eColdhlE8A0/s320/DSCN0630.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259976965864062578" border="0" /></a><br />As I write this, I have just begun my journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway, which means...<br /><br />I MADE IT TO VLADIVOSTOK!!!<br /><br />But more about that later.<br /><br />I am typing this in a sticky note on my laptop, using the remaining battery power for the duration of my 6 day rail adventure. There are no outlets on this train (that I have found so far), so it is conceivable that I will not be using my computer this entire ride. 6 whole days without a keyboard! That means no Reason or Digital Performer (the programs I use to make my electronic music), and if I want to write something, I will have to use good ol' pen and paper. Which fortunately, is plentiful. I made sure of it.<br /><br />So a recap...<br /><br />Wednesday<br /><br />After spending most of the day with Will at the SPR coffeeshop nearby the Beijing train station, I hopped aboard the overnight train to Haerbin. This was a ride in which I spoke to no one (language barrier), drank 3 beers, and passed out.<br /><br />Thursday<br /><br />In the morning, the train arrives, and I am greeted by the associates of the Zhang family friend, whom helped me get my ticket to Vladivostok. The ticket is for a train 2 days from today (only 2 trains per week), and therefore I must stay in Haerbin. They are holding a sign reading "David Ney". I exchange 612 yuan for my ticket, and they try to arrange my living accommodations in Haerbin. I attempt to communicate that I have already booked a hostel, but this does not come across easily (language barrier). Finally, they take me to a place where I can check my email, and show them the address of the hostel (it pays to write things down). They hail a cab, and I'm on my way to the Little Fir International Youth Hostel.<br /><br />At the hostel I'm greeted by a Chinese receptionist who speaks no English whatsoever. This is not a big problem (as I never expect anyone in a foreign country to automatically know English (like many arrogant United Statesians). But at "international youth hostels" you get used to the idea of the staff speaking English (England and the US didn't conquer all of those countries for nothing!) I pay my key deposit of 20 Yuan, which I don't expect to ever see again, based on the poor feedback people give this hostel on hostelworld.com. I explore the neighborhood. There is a street fair nearby, where locals are selling fruits, vegetables, meats, breads, an assortment of live animals, cookware, cleaning products, replicas of currencies past, and yes, even a cut up horse. I buy some flat bread (kind of like Naan) and wander back to the hostel. I am in a dorm room, with something like 10 beds, but I am currently the sole occupant. I am playing my guitar, practicing songs, and in walks in 3 Chinese kids whom are very excited about the fact that I have a guitar, and harmonicas. We exchange songs (one of them knows some guitar, and is a better harp player than guitarist), and they sing me an old Chinese song, which I learn the chords to. They make tea with a mini propane stove, and request the same songs that everyone in China wants me to play (Hotel California by the Eagles, Yesterday by the Beatles, and Country Roads by John Denver, none of which I know how to play). You can gauge the popularity of a song by how many people worldwide know it as a definitive English language anthem. Those songs later become requests in Russia as well. I disappoint internationally!<br /><br />The kids invite me to dinner. They know a great place in Haerbin that they've visited two years prior. Their treat. Who am I to say no? We go to downtown Haerbin. The first thing we witness is the aftermath of an outdoor beauty pageant, complete with a big stage, expensive lights, and state of the art sound. All of the participants have gone home. Then we see a row of portraitists, using charcoal and lead (?) to immortalize willing subjects. I snapped some photos of this. Then we go a few blocks to the restaurant. It's a dumpling place. I explain that I'm a vegetarian, and they say "no problem". There are many vegetable entrees on the menu, including some absolutely amazing fried potato treats, which are more of a dessert than a proper entree. Then we go to a square to take pictures of an old church, built by Russians many years ago. There are many examples of Russian architecture in Haerbin. It used to be a Russian hub in China, before the Soviet Union came and rounded people up, forcing them to return to the USSR. After this dose of history, it's time for modern electronic debauchery: an arcade. These kids are big driving game enthusiasts, so it's competitive motorcycle and car games for the next hour. China gets the leftovers from Japan and the US, so I get to revisit old classics like Daytona USA and Out Run. Occasionally, I sneak away to play strange games like "The First Funky Fighter" and "Funky Gaters". Obviously the word "funk" is a big draw for me. And for the Japanese, whom I am certain created these fucking insane games. These kids I was with loaded me up with tokens to spend freely at this arcade. On our way out, I still have 10 tokens left. I notice the air hockey table. Robert H., Fury, Ryler D., Kim V.S., Anna W., Robert L., Weston R., and all of my other poetry geek Beaver chums, I demanded that the last 10 tokens be spent at the table. This one made funny noises whenever the puck hit the walls! After a fun Thursday night out on the town, it was time for bed. I fall asleep watching the China v Angola Olympic Men's Basketball game.<br /><br />Friday<br /><br />The kids are gone. I sleep in until noon. A young man from Worcester, Massachusetts is shown into the room, and disturbs my slumber. He apologizes, but no matter because it's long past time for me to get up. When you're so far from home, and there is so much to experience, every second sleeping in is wasted life. The same could be said about your own hometown, I guess. I spend many hours on the internet, thinking about blogging, but never doing so (obviously). I have hooked up places to stay in all but one of the European cities I will visit on my way from Moscow to Paris (oh Amsterdam, you elitist Seattle of Europa!) Later, the kid from Massachusetts (can't remember his name, dammit) and I go to get a bite at the restaurant around the corner. He has been teaching English in Beijing for the last year. We talk about that for a while. I bring up the fact that Abbie Hoffman came from Worcester. Then bed. I fall asleep watching the China v Brazil Olympic Women's Volleyball game.<br /><br />Saturday<br /><br />At 6am I am awakened by a girl joining the dorm room. "Sorry" she says, to which I reply "it's all good." But this time, I'm going back to bed. It's 6am for crying out loud, I'm sleeping until 8am at least. And sleep I did, until 8:30am. Then I go out for internet time, and the girl (who turns out to be Irish) joins me. We talk for a while. She has been teaching English near Shanghai for the last two years. We both watch some YouTube videos together. We marvel at the "amazing" bigfoot discovery, featured on Fox News. Which inevitably turns into a conversation about Bill O'Reilly, whom thankfully she's never heard of. I still can't help but expose her to this mouthpiece of the american masses, and she is thouroghly amused. Then it's checkout time. I get my key deposit back(!), which hostelworld.com will hear about later. Overall the Little Fir wasn't bad, but it certainly didn't come close to touching the awesomeness of the Mix in Chengdu. I take a cab to the railway station. After eating and walking around a bit, I feel like relaxing at the train station would be my best bet. And so that's what I did. For 7 hours. Then it's time to depart. I climb aboard my first Russian train, and I'm a sleeper car with 3 Russian women spanning 3 generations, who had taken in Haerbin on holiday. The youngest (who is 14) is the best English speaker of them all. She ends up translating. Lights out, it's time for bed.<br /><br />Sunday<br /><br />The third most frustrating day of my trip.<br /><br />When I was applying for my Russian Visa, I had to fill out the exact dates that I was going to enter and leave Russia. My Chinese Visa was only valid for 30 days, and thinking that I would be arriving in China on July 18, I told the Russian Consulate that I would be arriving August 18. God I wish that I had put down August 17 instead. Unbeknownst to me at the time, this would cause a problem that would end up costing me. The train from Haerbin to the China/Russian border arrives on the 17th. My ticket is to go to Vladivostok, but since I am not allowed into Russia until the 18th, I am pulled off of the train and forced to wait at this small Chinese border town. After trying to communicate with the border guards to no avail, I search for a way to get to Vladivostok the next day. I'm assuming my old ticket is null and void, and that I will have to get a new ticket.<br /><br />I happen upon a travel agency, and through the magic of a Google driven website which translates Chinese to English and vice-versa (poorly), I'm able to somewhat communicate with one of their employees. He tells me he can help if I come back at 1:00pm. He inquires as to where I'm staying in this town, and I tell him I don't know. He suggests a hotel, and I tell him I'm not willing to spend more than 30 Yuan. He leads me to a very, very run down "hotel", which is owned by his friends. They tell me I can have a room with a window for 50, or one without for 35. I compromise and shell out the extra 5 Yuan to stay in a hot muggy room. Hey, at least it's a roof. I take a nap. At 1:00, I head back to the travel agency for more back and forth on the computer. He tells me that there's a train to Vladivostok the next morning at 9:20, and it will cost me 300 Yuan for a ticket. Haggling is common in China, so I offer 200. We end up settling on 260. I assume there are extra charges for going through the travel agency. He says my ticket is available in the morning, which makes me kind of suspicious. He also says that after he gets off work at 5:00, him and his girlfriend will come to my hotel and take me out to dinner. We are now "friends". I think he is genuine, but I also suspect something else is amidst.<br /><br />Sure enough, 5:30 rolls around and him and his girlfriend are here. He tells me to bring my guitar because his family wants to hear my music. We walk a ways to his house, where his parents and very loud, rowdy brother live. We eat, and drink beer, and then it's time for me to play. His brother keeps demanding that I take shots of beer with him, so drinking ensues. He is pulling down small glasses of beer like they are hard liquor, and he is impressed by my ability to keep up. Boy, if he could only witness a Bellingham house party. I play about 10 songs, and his family are appreciative. Then we walk back to the hotel. The guy and his girlfriend tell me that they're going to stay in the room next to me. "Oh great". I'm thinking. "I know what they're going to be doing". But they don't do it! They just watch this insane TV show, which I can see in my room because there's a TV, but I can only hear the sound coming from their room. My TV is controlled by their remote, so I watch what they watch. I don't have a choice.<br /><br />This TV show was absolutely out of control. It was some bizarre dating game-esq. show involving breakdancing, kung-fu, singing, twirling around, putting out candles with your nose, and popping balloons in-between their torsos. There was a second round in which the participants were dressed up, and the men would sing or say something romantic to try to win the hearts of the women. The TV was switched off at this point. Though annoying, I am glad I had a chance to watch such idiocy. A truly unique Chinese experience.<br /><br />I could not fall asleep that night because of someone in the next room snoring louder than I've ever heard anyone snore before. It sounded like the guy was building to the greatest loogie of all time, but could never quite get there. All. night. long.<br /><br />Monday<br /><br />The second most frustrating day of my trip.<br /><br />The couple in the next room wakes up at 7:00am, and grabs me to go to the travel agency. The guy wants my 260 Yuan, which he will give to a "friend" of his and he will go get the ticket. I've run into situations like this, but only involving weed. And the rule of thumb is, NEVER GIVE THE GUY YOUR MONEY UNLESS YOU HAVE WHAT YOU'RE PURCHASING IN HAND. I demand that this guy, his "friend", and I all go to pick up the ticket together. I want to see the ticket before I hand over the cash. When you're traveling by yourself, it is imperative that you have a "trust no one" attitude. The guy seems hurt that I would suspect that he would wrong me. I tell him no offense, but I am just trying to cover my own ass. His "friend" is at the ticket booth, and I'm wondering, "why can't I just do this myself". Well first off, the language barrier, and second the guy tells me that his "friend" is the only one who can do it. The "friend" returns to tell me that there are no trains to Vladivostok until tomorrow. This is unacceptable. I was told the train would be there this morning, and I'm getting on that damn train. So I go to the border/train station. I see tons of Russians getting on a train that leaves at 9:30. "Hmmm, I wonder where they're going!" I'm thinking. I go back to the ticket booth to try purchasing a ticket by myself, and they CLOSE THE TICKET BOOTH. At this point I'm panicking. I need to catch my train to Moscow which leaves Vladivostok this evening. Outside the ticket building, I see the "friend" of the travel agency guy. He has a look on his face that screams, "I told you so." So we go back to the travel agency. I'm pissed. It's 9:05 and I've got a train to catch. The guy tells me to give him my 260 Yuan. At this point I figure "what the hell". It might cost me more if I miss my train to Moscow. So I chance it. The money is exchanged and the "friend" goes to get my ticket (despite the booth being closed). He comes back 2 minutes later with ticket in hand. Price on the ticket: 71 Yuan. Oh well, I've got a golden ticket!<br /><br />I rush to the border. The border guards have closed the gates and are not letting anyone else on the train. I kind of freak out and wave my ticket in their faces saying that I need to catch the train. After milling about for 10 minutes or so, they decide to let me go thru. But then customs wants to go through my stuff. They take out my map of Europe and ask me what it is. "It's a MAP!". They take out my computer, and want to see what's in the "documents" folder. These people can't speak English, let alone read it, so I don't know what the hell they're looking for. They take my harmonicas out of my guitar case, and want to know what they are. I blow into one, and then it becomes clear. I'm waving my ticket in their faces saying, "I have to catch my train!!! It leaves in minutes!!!" Finally they let me go.<br /><br />I run to the train and just barely make it. I purchased a standing ticket, but there's a cargo area that many Russians are sitting in, so I park myself on top of a big bag. There are hundreds of these big bags around, and they all look the same. My guitar IMMEDIATELY attracts attention. I am offered Vodka and Beer to play songs for the folks, and play songs I do! For the next 2 hours. It's like a party. These people want to get me DRUNK. It's 10am! That's the way the Russians roll I suppose.<br /><br />We get to the Russian border. After spending some time going through customs (with no problems), I am officially in Russia. But the train I was on only went to this border town, not Vladivostok, as promised by the travel agency guy. That rat bastard. I knew he was trying to butter me up so that he could rip me off. C'est La Vie, I'm in Russia. After attempting to talk to some people about the best way to get to Vladivostok, a kid suggests I join him on the bus that he's taking to Ussuriysk (which is about an hour away from Vladivostok). The driver implies that there are no available seats, but the kid suspects otherwise. Sure enough, there was one extra seat and it would cost me 200 Roubles (about 8 dollars). We get to Ussuriysk, and another guy calls me a cab. I'm a little worried, because I have an hour and a half before my train leaves Vladivostok. So the cabbie drives like the wind, rocking out to Dire Straits and exclaiming, "God is on our side!!!!" We actually make it to the train station in Vladivostok 10 minutes before my train leaves. The ride will cost me 1400 Rubles (over 40 bucks).<br /><br />I go to get my ticket, and find out that the departure time of 8:20 is actually Moscow time! All that racing against time, for no reason. For some reason I am led to believe that my train is the one sitting in the yard at that moment. It leaves in 2 hours. I have no idea that Moscow is actually 7 hours ahead. So after waiting for 2 hours, I am set to board what I think is my train. Wrong. Not my train. A friendly English speaking kid helps me out by translating my ticket. He explains the time difference to me. Ok, now I have 5 hours to kill in Vladivostok, so I set out to find the von Krusenstiern statue which I promised John (von Krusenstiern, owner of Cap Hansen's) I would do. The kid (whose name is Stas) who helped me earlier sees me, and asks if I'd like to hang out with him and his girlfriend until my train leaves. I am enthralled! They want to show me Vladivostok, and help me find the von Krusenstiern statue in the process. They don't know where it is, but are asking around. Nobody seems to know where it is. He calls his dad, and he doesn't know either. He doesn't seem to think it exists in Vladivostok, but of course everyone has heard of this famous Mr. von Krusenstiern. Sorry John, I tried. But I will find the statue in St. Petersburg...<br /><br />We go up to a scenic view of Vladivostok. I can see the whole city. It is nighttime, and the lights reflect upon the Sea of Japan, where Vladivostok sits. Then we go to the waterfront. We see dolphins!!! (see my Flickr page). They take me out to pizza (their treat). Then we go to the beach, and hang out. I play them many songs on my guitar, per their request. They want a CD of my music, so we go pick up a blank from a 24 hour internet cafe. I burn them Bright Blue and Red Box!!!!! Then after driving around a bit more, we head back to the train station so they can see me off. What amazing, hospitable people. I will remember them as the best possible first impression of Russia I received. I look forward to the future. Now I board train # 239, car 8, bed 9. This will be my home for the next week...<br /><br />***David's note: this blog entry was posted upon my arrival in Moscow, which means I made it! I will post my blog about the train ride as soon as I type it. I am playing catch up. Thanks for reading!***<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-1879497025748429480?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-14255153936803067592008-08-13T06:52:00.000-07:002008-10-22T06:54:58.937-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8wf8F5nFI/AAAAAAAAABU/eGQKTZ--ESA/s1600-h/DSCN0554.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8wf8F5nFI/AAAAAAAAABU/eGQKTZ--ESA/s320/DSCN0554.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259976215056981074" border="0" /></a><br />The last several days have been very easygoing. I have spent most of the time hanging out by myself, writing or doing internet things.<br /><br />Saturday -<br /><br />David Zhang, Will, and I went to a bar called "The Boat", which is literally a boat. There are two floors. Upstairs there was a Chinese Indie Rock band playing - well struggling to play is more like it. They were a decent band with some interesting arrangements, but the sound at the club was terrible. I felt bad for the guys in the band. After a lengthy soundcheck, the band began their set. Their sound was not dialed in at all, and you could hardly hear the vocals. The soundboard was behind the stage (never a good idea), and then the sound man left after the second song. On top of all that, the guitarist and bassist were running directly thru the PA, no amps. What I gathered from the couple of shows I went to, is that the venue provides equipment (amps and drums), and the band just brings their guitars, plug in, and play. This bar was not well equipped for live music, BUT the downstairs was set up for dance music, and they went all out. There was a French DJ spinning house music (progressive, funky, tech, pop) and a 10 person dance party ensued. This was our last night with David Zhang, so we let loose.<br /><br />The next day, after one final meal, the Zhangster was off - headed back to Shanghai. Will and I went to the Happy House - a hostel we found online. We did not expect much, but...<br /><br />The Happy House was awesome!!!<br /><br />Ok, one thing - the staff are super friendly. One of the receptionists had made an impression on us when we went to confirm the room and pay the tab several days previous. Her name is Fanny, and she is OUTRAGEOUS. With a capital "O". She gets her kicks by fucking with us. To the extreme. But never in a rude, or demeaning way. She just likes to joke around a lot. She is very, very pretty, with a wild fashion sense. She even has contact lenses with a fake blue tint to them. I can tell she's a party girl, but she denies it. She speaks pretty good English - at least enough to fuck with us. I cannot stress enough how crazy this girl is. She is reason enough to stay at the Happy House if you are ever in Beijing. I tell her that she is "spunky". She does not know what that means, and is currently in pursuit of the definition. I have the hots for her, but rumor has it she has a boyfriend. Nevertheless, the flirting between us lasts the duration of my stay.<br /><br />She sees my guitar when we arrive, and demands that I play it for her. So I play for an hour or so. She likes my music quite a bit, and I gain an audience (mostly Happy House employees, but also some folks staying at the hostel). My reward is a free beer.<br /><br />My music is apparently so popular, that every night of the 3 day stay, Fanny is demanding that I play more songs. "More songs! More guitar!" She is not asking, she is demanding. The 3rd night, I am bribed with stuffed animals of the Olympic mascots. I add another stipulation: a picture with Fanny. The picture above this blog entry is Fanny and I. Good times. I'll miss you Fanny.<br /><br />Not much else happened while staying at Happy House. Walking. Eating. Joking. Hanging out with our new friends from England whom we met at the hostel. We are taking it easy after weeks of strenuous activity.<br /><br />Tonight I leave Beijing for Haerbin. I decided to book a hostel that does not get very good reviews, but it's 5 dollars a night. The price is right - I'll report back when I am there. Stay tuned.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-1425515393680306759?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-68404510259401478272008-08-08T06:49:00.000-07:002008-10-22T06:52:04.180-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8vxsJIPII/AAAAAAAAABM/YyEEMSUJ_pQ/s1600-h/DSCN0538.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8vxsJIPII/AAAAAAAAABM/YyEEMSUJ_pQ/s320/DSCN0538.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259975420501572738" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Thursday </strong><br /><br />We wake up and head to a section of town where there is a foreign bookstore. Will wants to pick up a copy of Dune. He can only find Dune sequels and prequels. He decides to get Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy instead. I am looking at a book called "The Complete Guide to Hip-Hop". Usually books like this only focus on hella mainstream stuff, but I am surprised by the amount of information and research that went into this book. There's a large section on Anticon for god's sake!<br /><br />We leave and happen upon a fellow who is in town with his calligraphy professor. He wants to talk to us and have his professor write our names in Chinese characters. He does it quickly, on nice rice paper. Then we receive the calligraphy as gifts. We thank them and we're on our way.<br /><br />After a long walk past the Forbidden City and a nice park, we are back at home. Then, immediately it's time to leave again. Dinner with the Zhang family friends again. This time at a traditional Beijing Hot Pot. Not nearly as spicy as in Chengdu. The Patriarch of this family works for the train system in China, and he's going to assist me in getting tickets to Vladivostok. Apparently it is a hard ticket to get, and they usually only go thru travel agencies for this particular trip. But since I have a man on the inside, I get hooked up.<br /><br />The catch is that I must stay two days in Haerbin, and then catch a train to Vladivostok. I have no idea where I'm going to stay in Haerbin, or what I'm going to do. Perhaps I'll go a little ways out of town and camp. Internet searches for hostels in Haerbin are making me cringe. The only accredited Hosteling International place gets very, very bad reviews from people who have stayed there. Not many people in Haerbin have couchsurfing.com accounts, and the ones that do haven't gotten back to me yet. Oh well, adventure time.<br /><br />After dinner, we head over to Mao Live! It is a rock venue, and there is a big 5 band rock show going on tonight. Wow wow wow! Fun! All of the bands were Chinese, and some were way better than others. Being in a Beijing rock club was quite the interesting experience. This is the first REAL live music I have gotten to see in China thus far. The second to last band (I never found out their name) was pretty entertaining. They were a Folk rock band who were stylistically rooted in traditional Beijing folk. But they wrote funny songs. In fact, half of their act was like a standup comedy routine. David Zhang says they're not actually that funny, but they seem to have a big following nonetheless. Musically I think they're pretty good. They have the standard rock setup: 2guitar/bass/drums. But on top of that, they have percussion, Urhu, and Shamisen. The Shamisen player is soooo dreamy. I took a pic of her - it's on my flickr page. After the bands I played some foosball with these hipster girls. Good times.<br /><br /><strong>Friday 08/08/08 - Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics<br /><br /></strong>After sleeping in until 11 (the latest I've slept in since coming to China), and some internet time, I hoof it up to the Olympic grounds to witness the spectacle that is Beijing during the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. But I have got my guitar.<br /><br />My plan is to busk. I will inevitably have an audience, no matter where I decide to set up. On the way there I meet a couple of crazy Russians from Moscow who are carrying gi-normous Chinese flags. They speak some English, and we get to talking. They want to sneak into the Olympics. None of us have tickets (in fact the people who were privileged enough to get a ticket paid a pretty penny). The entire Olympic grounds are cordoned off and heavily guarded. I decide to give up on trying to get closer. This ain't no Grammys, and these are'nt security guards with walkie talkies. This is the Olympics, and these are Chinese military personnel with machine guns. I am not about to fuck with them. But the Russian guys wanna try jumping a fence somewhere. I bid them good day and good luck.<br /><br />I buy a can of beer and open my case on a street right next to a big parking lot. People are gathered here to try to catch a glimpse of the fireworks coming from the National Stadium (Bird's Nest) during the ceremonies. I begin playing my first song and immediately there are a good 200 people circling me, interested as fuck. People are snapping photos, taking video footage, and generally freaking out. It's unheard of for a white guy to just be playing guitar and singing on their streets. They love it. I kind of feel like a circus freak. They are throwing mad cash into my case. Like, my case is FULL of money.<br /><br />I am playing mostly solo material, and some covers. But occasionally I throw a Pirates R Us song in, and the crowd LOVES it. They don't know what I'm saying, but I'm sure they were entertained by my funny gruff voice and the aggressive nature of songs like "Lobster Manor" and "Drunken Pirate". They are dancing. I get them all to "YAAARRRR!!" with me. Several times. In addition to money, they are also putting cans of beer into my case. Many cans of beer. I thank them and it goes down the hatch. Nobody cares about open containers on the streets here. I try to explain the meaning of "Lobster Manor" to them. The police arrive and I'm thinking "uh oh", but turns out they just wanted to listen and dance. They take in a good half an hour of my performance.<br /><br />3 hours of intense busking later, I'm still at it. I notice people in the crowd who were there when I began. Awww, they really like me! I see the Russian guys in the crowd. Oh good, they were not shot and killed. They see that I'm getting a little tired and I'm losing my voice. The fireworks have started, but people keep listening. I am sweating like crazy in the humid Beijing air, surrounded by bodies. I can hardly voice chords anymore because my left hand is drenched in sweat, slip-sliding all over the fretboard. I put the guitar down and rap "Mirror Sphere" and "Snuffleupagus". People are clapping to keep a beat. They are getting closer and closer. Finally, a man who speaks a little English comes over and says "you are tired, come drink with us" and points to his utility van. "Come drink and make friends". Sounds good to me. I gather my fat stack and put my guitar in it's case.<br /><br />The guy leads me to the van, where there is a shit ton of beer. Many crowd participants come over too. This guy and his friends work for China Mobile, the cell phone company. 2 of them are still wearing their uniforms, but are DRINKING. We drink a lot of beer. I'm standing up and talking to people, and the man invites me to have a seat. I say I'm fine standing, but he insists and busts out a computer tower. "Well since you are offering me a COMPUTER, how can I resist!" I sit on the computer.<br /><br />Then the people want to hear more music. This is a smaller crowd, and it's quieter. Now's my opportunity to play songs like "Some Dreams" and "Summerface" . The girls like these songs. The man asks if I like Chinese women, and I reply "Very much so. They are very beautiful." Some of the girls blush. They tell me I'm handsome. I blush. We have a moment.<br /><br />As the crowd slowly disperses, I think about perhaps heading home. There's a small group of guys left, including two guys from Virginia, USA who are tripping on acid. One is celebrating his birthday on 08/08/08. Funny dudes. One is kinda freaking out, and throws a garbage can into some bushes. There are cops nearby witnessing this, but they don't do anything.<br /><br />It's time for me to leave. I have an hour and a half trek home. None of the buses or taxis are picking up the lowly peasants right now. They're all tending to the people coming out of the stadium after the opening ceremonies. A couple of my new friends are headed the same way so we walk home together. We discuss the differences between Chinese and American culture. Good times.<br /><br />And that's how I spent my 08/08/08 in Beijing.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-6840451025940147827?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-34526946025162611862008-08-06T06:46:00.000-07:002008-10-22T06:48:53.897-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8vOVK9MkI/AAAAAAAAABE/MPDu99FiQ_A/s1600-h/DSCN0477.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8vOVK9MkI/AAAAAAAAABE/MPDu99FiQ_A/s320/DSCN0477.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259974813039800898" border="0" /></a><br />I'm sitting in a coffeeshop in Beijing typing this. I just changed the music on their CD player, which I was allowed to do.<br /><br />For some reason, the employees here have no problem listening to a scratched CD that skips between sections of "I Write the Songs" by Barry Manilow and "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin.<br /><br />Now we're listening to old vocal jazz. Thank god.<br /><br />Monday night we went to this strip of bars that surrounds a small lake. Very touristy and very expensive. There are many bars where people post up on a stool and play acoustic guitar and sing for people. David and I looked into what it takes to be one of these performers, and YOU HAVE TO PAY! It's about $2.50 per song. You pay the bar to play. Most people play covers of popular American and British songs (and by British, I mostly mean "Beatles"). Not our scene.<br /><br />Yesterday we rented bikes again!<br /><br />This time we RODE AROUND BEIJING. All. day. long. We estimate we may have rode 80 miles or so. It was awesome. We hit every spot on our to-go list. Eating. Post Office. Train Station. Tiananmen Square. Seed bank. Music Stores. Eating.<br /><br />I kind of know my way around now. Beijing is pretty easy to learn, because it's basically a big grid. there are 4 ring roads that go around the city, but other than that it's just north/south/east/west.<br /><br />Today I am by myself. David and Will took the bullet train to the Pacific beach to go swimming and chill out. This is one of the activities I opted out of, due to my tight budget. So it's coffee and internet for me today.<br /><br />Perhaps I'll find people to kick it with...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-3452694602516261186?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-31109312620800295372008-08-04T06:42:00.000-07:002008-10-22T06:45:38.141-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8ueXZKVqI/AAAAAAAAAA8/pth636HfX_0/s1600-h/DSCN0443.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8ueXZKVqI/AAAAAAAAAA8/pth636HfX_0/s320/DSCN0443.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259973989002532514" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Beijing</strong><br /><br />Wow, there is a lot of catching up I have to do.<br /><br /><strong>Thursday</strong><br /><br />We get into Beijing very early in the morning and make our way to David's grandfather's house. It is a very spacious apartment in a government complex near the downtown area of Beijing. David's grandfather used to be one of the ministers of education back in the day, so he is supported by the government in his old age. Unfortunately, being that he is 88 years old, he is in poor health, and basically lives at the hospital nowadays. It is unlikely that I will get to meet this gracious man who is letting us stay in his place for 2 weeks.<br /><br />We sleep for a few hours, then get up to meet old man Beijing. This is the capital of China, host of the 2008 Olympic Games, and the former home of Chairman Mao, the George Washington of China. We go out on the town. First stop - a giant bookstore where David Zhang buys a map of Beijing. Next stop - music supply stores where we pick up cheap guitar strings and pics. Then some friends of the Zhang family take us out to dinner, and gorge us as is customary in China. Funny, no matter how full or bloated I get here, it still never feels as unhealthy as it does in the US. I am definately eating much better here. My stomach is shrinking, ever so slightly. I probably couldn't finish a whole Casa burrito anymore.<br /><br />Then we go home and chill. Default activity - "MYSHOW!" which is China's answer to American Idol. God damn I hate these types of shows, but MYSHOW is very, very entertaining. I've never heard Chinese people rap before. Chinese kids who want to be stars, and take themselves WAY too seriously are HILARIOUS. It must just be because I don't know the language, because when I see American Idol, I just want to vomit.<br /><br /><strong>Friday</strong><br /><br />We get up and hit the streets. We have goals. I was invited to play a folk festival in Moscow, Russia on Sept. 6th. The problem: my Russian visa is only valid til' Aug. 31. Goal #1: find the Russian Embassy.<br /><br />We decide to RENT BICYCLES!!! Best decision EVAR! Riding bikes around Beijing is sooooo much fun. People drive/ride/walk like maniacs in China. There are no rules. It's a free for all. My defensive bike riding skills have come in handy riding around this town.<br /><br />We find the Russian Embassy, but it's closed. We must come back Monday morning. Damn.<br /><br />Goal #2: Find the Happy Hostel. David Zhang is leaving Aug. 10 back to Shanghai to see his family one last time before departing back to the US. This means that Will and I need a place to stay from the 10th to the 13th. We find the Happy Hostel online, which is the cheapest place available (and actually has rooms during the olympics!) It's still $27 US dollars a night (compare to the Mix in Chengdu which was roughly $6 a night - whew!) After a long wild goose chase, we find the place and pay for the rooms. I am attempting to find another place to stay for free, and then get the money refunded, but this measure is to cover my own ass.<br /><br />After all of this, we have to haul our asses back to the bike rental place clear across town to get our deposits back. What an exhilirating ride! In 4 hours we have covered a good portion of the city. We plan to rent bikes again.<br /><br />After returning the bikes and getting a quick bite, we make our way back to the apartment to plan that night's festivities. We research clubs on the internet, and decide to visit a club called Destination. We hail a cab, and 10 minutes later, we're in Beijing Club central. Destination: Destination. After hassling David Zhang about his footwear (sandals), they decide to let us in. Apparently they've just instituted a new "no sandals" rule here. David points out to the bouncer that many other people inside are wearing sandals, and then he pulls out the big guns: the sad puppy dog face. It works, the bouncer lets him in. Anyone who knows Mr. Zhang knows how bullshit he thinks this policy is.<br /><br />Destination is a maze. There are multiple floors, multiple rooms. We are meeting people from all over the world, some of whom are in Beijing for the Olympics, others are just there to be there. Destination caters to an international crowd. David introduces me to a girl and we start talking. Which turns into flirting. Which turns into kissing. We go off on our own... I won't mention her name, she might be reading this... Perhaps in the future. She is amazing. I am utterly and completely floored. She's unbelivably gorgeous, and I can't believe that she's into me. As far as I'm concerned she was the hottest girl in the club that night. She is so easy to talk to, and we decide we want to talk more, so we exchange email addresses. She's in Beijing on holiday, but is currently residing in the UK. I will be there in October. Hopefully we can meet. But coffee in Beijing is much more imminent. David and Will pull my twitterpated ass out. It's time to go home. We have to get up in the morning. Early. It's the name of the game in China.<br /><br /><strong>Saturday</strong><br /><br />We are picked up by the Zhang family friends. David Zhang hosted their son when he came to the US, so they are now returning the favor by taking us up to a secluded section of the Great Wall about 2 hours outside of town. We head out to a little Farmhouse community, run by a man named Lao Zhao. He is a funny, funny dude. Makes the best impression of a dog you've ever heard, and has an insane amount of energy. He's up at 3am and in bed by 11pm, living the farm life. He is our guide. After a meal and a nap, Lao Zhao takes us up the mountain. It's a good hour and a half hike to get to the top, where the Great Wall has been built. On the way up, it starts to rain. Nobody's complaining. It's so hot and humid in China, that a hike in the rain is refreshing and preferable.<br /><br />We're at the top! Now begins the climbing. We get up onto this ancient section of this wonder of the world. Lao Zhao is a champ. He can climb like a monkey, all the while chainsmoking! Me, notsomuch. Lao Zhao has to help me up a certain section. Zhang captured a humorous video of this, which is bound to make YouTube in the near future... The Great Wall is truly great. Great meaning large or immense, I use it in the perjojative sense. It stretches for miles and miles. It's a wonder that people lugged all of those bricks up the side of this steep mountain for hundereds of years. Buried beneath the ground on which we hike are the bodies of tens of thousands of ancient laborers.<br /><br />All in all we hike for 5 or so hours. We make our way down, and eat a well deserved feast, prepared by the farming community. Lots of corn products. The whole day was very fulfilling. We go to bed, but I do not fall asleep. You'd think after exerting myself in this way, I'd be tired. Alas, my insomnia kicks in. I can't stop thinking about *unnamed girl from the club*. It's probably just a pipe dream, but nevertheless it keeps me up. I may have slept for an hour or so. This place brings strange dreams.<br /><br /><strong>Sunday</strong><br /><br />The friends of the Zhangs leave late Saturday night, and will be back to pick us up Monday morning. In Beijing right now, cars with licence plates that end with even numbers can only drive on days that are even numbers. Saturday being the 2nd and Monday being the 4th are the only days our friends can drive. China is trying to lower emissions for the Olympics. They've shut down a number of factories in the city as well.<br /><br />Literally all that happens today is that I went up to the Wall by myself and relaxed on the edge for hours. I wrote a song. For a girl. Yes, I am a fool. I climb down, fulfilled once again.<br /><br />Eats and conversation with David and Will. Then bed. I sleep a little this night.<br /><br /><strong>Monday</strong><br /><br />We wake up and are taken back to Beijing proper. Until next time, Great Wall.<br /><br />I go immediately to the Russian Embassy. After waiting for 2 hours, I find out that they cannot extend my Visa. My two options are to try when I'm actually in Russia, or apply for a new Visa. Damn.<br /><br />Keeping my fingers crossed that I can play this folk festival!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-3110931262080029537?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-58188857348352025332008-07-28T06:41:00.000-07:002008-10-22T06:42:19.736-07:00<strong>Check out my Flickr page! </strong><br /><br /><br />http://www.flickr.com/strayney<br /><br />I've got lots and lots of new pictures, to go along with my blog!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-5818885734835202533?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-80486897375713865952008-07-28T06:37:00.000-07:002008-10-22T06:40:22.104-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8tPH8NHbI/AAAAAAAAAA0/V4Cae33-Ruc/s1600-h/DSCN0339.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8tPH8NHbI/AAAAAAAAAA0/V4Cae33-Ruc/s320/DSCN0339.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259972627644882354" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Chengdu!!!</strong><br /><br />***note from David - I was typing a rather lengthy blog entry a couple of days ago, and then Firefox quit on me, and I lost the whole thing. It was one of those moments where you just say "fuck it!" and you don't re-type it cuz you're frustrated. So here it goes again***<br /><br /><br /><strong>Thursday</strong><br /><br />We got into Chengdu, and spent the night at the aforementioned shitty hostel, with the cockroaches and intermittent internet access. We found a hostel online called the Mix(!) and we made a reservation.<br /><br /><strong>Friday</strong><br /><br />We check into the Mix! It's freaking awesome.<br /><br />http://www.donkey-pal.com/room_kr.htm<br /><br />Anyone traveling thru Chengdu should check it out. It caters to a wide range of international travelers. I have met people from all over the place here. They also hook you up with the means to take tours of regional attractions and natural areas. We will be taking a tour on Sunday, but more about that later.<br /><br />Friday is all about exploring on our own. We get caught in an epic rainstorm, and duck into a restaurant for some delicious *authentic* Chinese food. By the way, the food here is infinitely better than the Chinese food you get in the US. In Sichuan Province (of which Chengdu is the capital), the food is famously spicy. Some of the spiciest food I've ever eaten. It's awesome.<br /><br />Then we go to see the giant statue of Chairman Mao in the Central District. He is surrounded by flowers, fountains, and speakers pumping patriotic music. People still very much revere Mao in China, despite having turned disgustingly capitalist. If Mao were alive today, he probably wouldn't like the direction that China has gone.<br /><br />We head to a KTV (karaoke) bar, to experience that. I first requested "Piano Man" by Billy Joel. They didn't have it. I then requested "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. Didn't have that one either. I said "any songs in English". They had Chinese artists doing covers of "Sugar Sugar" by the Archies, and "Yellow Submarine" by the Beatles. I amused and entertained a group of drunken Chinese men. As soon as I get my YouTube page up, I'll post a video of it.<br /><br />Later that night, we go out on the town with some kids from the Hostel. And we go OUT on the town, oh lordie. The first time I've been drunk in China. Good times. We first visit an Irish bar called Shamrock, and drink Guinness and Whiskey, naturally. Then on to Le Cafe' Panam(e), a French joint, which is the coolest bar in Chengdu. Awesome music - a DJ who spins everything from old 50's Rock to Reggae, to modern Indie Dance Pop. We proceed to get quite drunk. The drink prices are dirt cheap, and the atmosphere is so inviting, you don't want to leave. Plus we met a lot of cool people there.<br /><br />Boy did we sleep good that night.<br /><br /><strong>Saturday</strong><br /><br />The next day, our new Chinese friend Carolyn took us around the city. We were joined by Gabby, our new Columbian American friend from NYC. Carolyn took us to the Quingyanggong Taoist Temple, which was a huge holy temple. Then we went to an antique market, and a folk market. I got some good shots of these places as well.<br /><br />Then dinner at a Hot Pot. This is a restaurant where we gather around and dip food into a giant pot filled with boiling, spicy oil in the middle of the table. Hothothothothothothot!!!! Then on to round two, kickin' it in downtown Chengdu. Our goal is to find a dance club. We go to a bar called the Hemp House to pre-func, and there's a pig running around (literally, a real pig, in the bar!) We are with a big group from the hostel at this point. People from China, the US, Chile, Columbia, Australia, and Israel. Then on to "Bar Street". This is the most Westernized strip in all of Chengdu. The people who started these bars must have come to the US, visited popular nightclubs, and taken notes. We hear loud, loud hip hop coming out of the Soho Club, so we check it out. The place is PACKED. Probably a thousand people crammed into this place. Nowhere to dance whatsoever. It is difficult to order a drink, because the bartenders are doing tricks about 70 percent of the time. Spinning flaming bottles, standing on the bar and dancing, fire eating, setting a stack of glasses on fire and making it sparkle. Everything except pouring drinks. This place was rather costly. Then to a bar called MGM that Will wanted to go to, because of it's description in a local magazine. "Loud All-Night Techno Party". We're down. It actually turned out to be a dud. No one was there. Then back home to sleep. We must wake up EARLY.<br /><br /><strong>Sunday</strong><br /><br />So turns out the Panda Reserve is closed because of earthquake damage, so that's a no go. :( Instead we have the Hostel book us a tour of Mt. Emei, and surrounding areas. We start out at 6 in the morning, on a bus out of the city. It takes about 2 hours to get to our first destination - the Leshan Grand Buddha statue. Wow wow wow. After hiking up a tremendous amount of stairs, we make it to the top of the Buddha statue. We can really only see his head, but we can tell he's HUGE. At 71 meters tall, he's the world's largest Buddha statue. Quite possibly the largest statue I've ever seen in my life.<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leshan_Giant_Buddah<br /><br />We hike around him. There are many other beautiful points in the immediate surrounding areas, ultimately leading to a very narrow staircase to the base of the statue. We get down to the bottom, and it's marvelous. Check out my Flickr page for some of my shots. Then we go back up the stairs, and it's INTENSE. I need to get in shape, today proved it. I was so beat by the time I got to the top. I have consumed many a bottle of water today (you don't want to drink the water in China). Then a rather long hike back to where we're meeting our tour group.<br /><br />That night we stay at a hotel outside Mt. Emei, as part of the tour package. They put "the foreigners" (as the tour guide keeps referring to us as) up in a store room with some beds. We don't get a key. There are hundreds of sheets and towels piled up all over the room. I want to build a fort, but nobody else is down. We are absolutely exhausted. We fall asleep at 10pm watching China Idol.<br /><br />Monday<br /><br />We wake up at 4am, and are somehow well rested. We are gearing up to head to the top of Mt. Emei. We must take a bus for an hour and a half up the mountain, and then we take a cable car (gondola) to the peak. I haven't taken a gondola since Silver Mountain in Kellogg, Idaho. It's pretty epic. At the top, you can clearly see why Mt. Emei is considered a "Holy Mountain" by the locals. It's 100% beautiful. Still, people feel the need to throw their garbage over these majestic cliffs. How do you see an absolutley amazing scenic landscape, considered sacred by the locals, and then have the nerve to throw garbage into it. It baffles the mind.<br /><br />There is a big 4 sided statue of a multi-headed Buddha riding atop a elephant at the top. There are trails, overlooking some insane cliffs. We stay up here for an hour or so, and then we have to go back down. From there, by bus, to another part of the mountain where we will hike for a total of 12 kilometers. There's another gondola to take you to the top, but the tour guide has been informed that it's broken. Our options are walking up, or taking a the backs of men. Literally. These poor guys carry you up a steep mountain. We opt for walking. Lo and behold, we make it there, and the gondola is operational. So we take it (we've already paid for it.) But the Chinese people on the tour with us are so excited about taking the men's backs, that they go that route. We get to the top and have to wait a while for the rest of the group.<br /><br />When they make it, we start our hike. We see waterfalls, beautiful coniferous trees, and the songs of thousands of Cicadas. I got some audio samples. We are making our way to the JOKING MONKEY ZONE!!!!! Oh boy, I am fucking EXCITED!!! It is a bit of a hike, but once you make it to the Joking Monkey Zone, you basically get to hang out with a bunch of monkeys. No cages, it's not a zoo. These are WILD monkeys. They are very social, and you can tell they love the human attention (not to mention the food.) Getting to kick it with monkeys is really really really really fun. Those little fuckers are hilarious! I got some good pics of them.<br /><br />We are late to meet up with our tour group, because we are lost in monkeyland. Our tour guide comes to get us, and we hike a good distance back to the bus. Then a few hours later, we are back at the Mix.<br /><br />Home sweet home. David Zhang and I play some songs for the kids at the Hostel.<br /><br />Then it's time for bed.<br /><br />It's now Tuesday, and we are set to hop on a train to Beijing. Now the insanity begins...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-8048689737571386595?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-65243083009442995712008-07-24T06:33:00.000-07:002008-10-22T06:36:40.961-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8sJGmtP0I/AAAAAAAAAAs/IfsHCeJTwoY/s1600-h/DSCN0161.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8sJGmtP0I/AAAAAAAAAAs/IfsHCeJTwoY/s320/DSCN0161.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259971424695435074" border="0" /></a><br /><div class="content-wrapper"><p>Chengdu!</p> <p>After a 38 hour hella uncofortable ride on a train, we have made it to Chengdu. </p> <p>Chengdu is in western china. I am sitting at an internet cafe, typing this entry, because the hostel we are staying at is having problems with their internet connection. It's kind of a crappy hostel, and we found a better one for tommorow. Both hostels get us a 3 bedroom room with it's own bathroom for about 130 Yuan (split 3 ways ends up being about 6 bucks a night). </p> <p>So we're in Shanghai, buying the ticket for the train to Chengdu. They ask if we'd like a sleeper car for 200 Yuan more. </p> <p>"Nah, I'm tough. I've ridden Greyhound cross country several times" I say. </p> <p>We get seats. BIG mistake.</p> <p>Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, my ass is still killing me. Hard, hard seats that don't recline. The train is ridiculously overcrowded. Claustrophobia and fire hazards don't exist in China. We had seats, but all around were people who bought standing tickets. For a 38 hour train ride. Yea.</p> <p>I'm thinking "these people will get off soon, you'd have to be crazy to stand for that long!" Well, they were. Either that or poor. They bought little plastic stools from vendors, and would sleep while sitting on them. People in every seat, aisle, compartment, and every possible space where you can shove somebody. </p> <p>We are in 3rd class, which means upright seats. 4th class is standing. 5th class are squatting inbetween the cars, in the smoking area.They look sad and destitute. Tired and weary. Kind of makes you feel guilty for having a chair. And not even a sleeper car.</p> <p>Nighttime comes and everyone's yawing. It's time for bed. No one will sleep comfortably. Some will squat, heads buried in their arms. Some will lie in the aisle. Many will lay on top of each other. </p> <p>7am. Too hot to sleep any longer. I wonder how many cumulative minutes of sleep I just got. It's 9am now, and I still feel sleepy. Estimated time of arrival: 5am. (ended up being 9am).</p> <p>We took a nap. I didn't feel it, but David Zhang says there was an earthquake while I was sleeping. I was lucid dreaming about Bellingham. Riding my bike around. Ryler Dustin comes up to me and apologizes for not coming to the going away party, and wishes me a good trip. Thanks Ryler.</p> <p>Tonight in Chengdu is all about chillin'. We'll recover from the train ride, and go to the new hostel tommorow. </p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-6524308300944299571?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-48556025388024267882008-07-22T06:29:00.000-07:002008-10-22T06:32:59.643-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8rhKofTHI/AAAAAAAAAAk/V3-KMBb1mj4/s1600-h/DSCN0105.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8rhKofTHI/AAAAAAAAAAk/V3-KMBb1mj4/s320/DSCN0105.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259970738581884018" border="0" /></a><br />It is the morning of July 22, 2008. This is our last day in Shanghai.<br /><br />The last two days have been kind of a whirlwind tour of all things tourism in this area. I don't like going out and doing touristy things when I travel, because I want to seek out the REAL. I want to be able to see how people live, how things really are. Not that we haven't wandered down some alleys or taken a stroll thru the ghettos, but the Zhangs felt it important to experience certain important parts of the area. It's been pretty cool actually.<br /><br /><strong>Sunday<br /></strong><br /><br />Delicious breakfast at the Zhangs. Then we hop in the car and we're off to Shaoxing, a nearby city. The Zhangs want to show us this historic ancient Chinese city in Zhejiang Province. In order to get there, we have to take the newly constructed Hangzhou Bay Bridge. Completed in May, this is the world's longest trans-sea bridge. It is almost 36 kilometers long (22 miles!) It is truly a feat of modern engineering.<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangzhou_Bay_Bridge<br /><br />We get to Shaoxing. "This is an ancient small town" remarks Li. "Small??" I'm thinking, observing the hustle and bustle typical of China. People flooding the streets. Cars, scooters, motorcycles, bikes, pedicabs everywhere. Tall buildings.<br /><br />"How many people live here?" I ask.<br /><br />"Oh, about 500,000 or so" Li replies.<br /><br />500,000?? That's like, the size of Spokane, or something. Small town in China.<br /><br />We go to eat in a famous restaurant. Then we walk around a marketplace, and make our way to a river where you can take a boat ride down a back alley. Here, you get to see the way people really live in China. Burning incense, tending to chickens, putting clothes on a clothesline, children swimming (yuck, the water doesn't look very clean), cooks out back smoking. The captain of this vessel rows the boat with his feet. A pleasant ride, and a unique experience.<br /><br />Then we hop in the car, and it's off to Hangzhou. David's mother believes this to be "the most beautiful city in China". Upon arrival, I can't really disagree. It is really a sight to see. Many other people have caught on to the beauty of this city, because it's arguably the most visited tourist destination in all of China. West Lake, the body of water right in the center of the city is an explosion of activity.<br /><br />This excursion takes all day. We get home around 10 at night. David, Will and I are still adjusting to being 14 hours ahead of Bellingham time. We get tired around 10, and wake up at 7. Nevertheless, we try and watch "The Forbidden Kingdom", a new film with Jackie Chan and Jet Li. What a HORRIBLE film. The white kid in that movie should be drug out into the road and shot.<br /><br />"This movie sucks. I'm going to bed".<br /><br /><strong>Monday</strong><br /><br />I woke up at 7 with an idea for a song swimming around in my head. It was remnants of a dream. I went outside and wrote it. It took an hour or so. One of my favorite pop songs that I've written. Then it was time for breakfast. Another delicious Chinese breakfast, a spread entirely different from the previous morning.<br /><br />Then it was off again to the city. We take a taxi to the subway station, and from there to just outside the downtown area. We eat at an extremely cheap restaurant. It costs each of us $4 for a big meal, beer, and tea. By the way, tipping is not customary here in China. I feel bad leaving a restaurant without tipping, but apparently the waitstaff would just get confused if we tried to give them more than the price of the tab.<br /><br />We walk about half an hour to the center of downtown Shanghai. Will has a checklist of things to buy for people, and we are seeking those objects out. I am not buying anything except for food and transportation, because I have little money and cannot pack around that much. My adventure is much longer than David's or Will's. They leave August 10th and 14th.<br /><br />Then we kind of bum around until we have to ride the subway back to the Zhang residence for one final dinner before we leave. It is a goodbye dinner, and dumplings were served. Noodles are served when someone arrives, dumplings when they leave. The Zhang household is quite lavish, and very western. They have Wi-Fi and a stocked refrigerator We are about to head west and leave these comforts behind.<br /><br />We have been too tired at night to go out, but Monday night we are almost caught up with our jet lag. It's time to hit the club scene in Shanghai. Chinese people don't really go "clubbing", or even drink casually at bars. Karaoke clubs are quite popular, but we haven't hit one up yet. We hit "the strip", which looks to be about 4 bars. The first one we go to, has a guy playing a guitar, and then a woman who sings over prerecorded music. The second place is a "salsa bar", which is a strange thing to take in when you are in China. We go in, and there is a live Salsa band playing (keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist over prerecorded percussion). The band are actual Latinos! They do everything from Gloria Gaynor to Buena Vista Social Club. Tequila shots all around. Alas, we have to leave and be home before midnight, or our taxi will turn into a pumpkin (translation: the Zhangs live in a gated community, and the gate is locked at midnight.)<br /><br />Monday night is like the previous, in that we are tired, but try to sit through a movie anyway. This time it's "10,000 B.C."<br /><br />"This movie sucks, I'm going to bed".<br /><br /><br />We are departing at 6pm for Chengdu, which is one of the areas affected by the big earthquake. We are visiting a PANDA RESERVE!!!!<br /><br />End transmission.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-4855602538802426788?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-23225256136516866052008-07-20T06:27:00.000-07:002008-10-22T06:29:08.536-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8qel2Vh1I/AAAAAAAAAAc/Ovnh_x5dB74/s1600-h/DSCN0103.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8qel2Vh1I/AAAAAAAAAAc/Ovnh_x5dB74/s320/DSCN0103.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259969594836485970" border="0" /></a><br /> Seattle>Vancouver>Los Angeles>Beijing>Shanghai<br /><br /> 4 flights. I am in Shanghai.<br /><br />No problem getting thru customs. With a smile and a stamp, the policeman lets me into his country. Whaddya think about that, CANADA???<br /><br /> David Zhang, Li Zhang (David's Father), and Will come meet me at the airport.<br /><br /> "You must be very tired." Li remarks. "Do you want to go home and rest?"<br /><br /> But I am good to go. I am running on adrenaline. I am in China for the first time ever. Hell no I don't want to rest!<br /><br /> We go downtown to city center. Li drops us off at a marketplace. The video above is filmed.<br /><br />There are many, many people in this city. Go figure, a city with 15 million people in the metropolitan area alone. But it is VERY apparent that this city is overcrowded. I have never seen anything like this. Downtown Shanghai is ridiculous. Skyscrapers as far as the eye can see. You cannot look between them and see sky. Only more skyscrapers. 8 or 9 are being constructed. A new skyscraper is erected every single month here.<br /><br />It is very humid. The temperature is 85, and we are sweating like dogs. Drinking lots of bottled water, which cost 2 Yuan apiece (30 cents). A woman from northern China comes up to us and asks if we'd like to see an art exhibit. She has traveled to Shanghai to show it. We go with her.<br /><br />The art is really amazing. Everything from traditional bamboo paintings to modern, vibrant, abstract work. 2 women explain the meanings behind the various works.<br /><br />They painted several of the pieces. I give them "props". They don't know what "props" are. David Zhang (who is acting as translator on this excursion) explains the meaning. I tell them that it's a Hip Hop term. They ask if I know Hip Hop dance. "No" I reply. "But I do rap!" They are very eager to hear me rap, so I lay it down for them. They are quite impressed, and give me "props".<br /><br />We say goodbye, and continue walking. David and Will are haggling for domino and chess sets made from bone. I am avoiding the aggresive salespeople, and exploring the market. Everywhere you turn, people are trying to sell you something. Every 3 seconds I have to say "bu yao, xie xie" which means "No want, thank you"<br /><br />We are looking for a cafe to sit and drink some beer. A man waves us into his establishment. We order a few gigantic Chinese beers. The waitstaff is trying to get us to order food, but we are meeting up with David's parents soon for dinner, so we politely decline. They are laughing at us and giving us funny looks for not ordering food. They come to the table several times trying to get us to order food, which we decline. Everytime, they walk away laughing. Then the man who waved us in comes to the table, and offers us watches, t-shirts, and dvds. We pay our tab and leave.<br /><br />Dinner with the Zhangs is pleasant and bountiful. We are at a very crowded restaurant, which looks to have upwards of 80-100 tables, all of them occupied. There is so much food at the table, it's ridiculous. It is customary in China to order way more food than everyone at the table can eat, because it's insulting to have a discontented dinner guest. Everyone must be stuffed by the end of the meal. Leftovers must be taken home (A whole duck, and several boxes.) The Zhangs are very accommodating of my vegetarian diet.<br /><br />We're heading to the car. Li asks us if we'd like to be dropped off at the clubs. As tempting as that sounds, jetlag is catching up with us. I thought I might get a second wind, but with a belly full of Chinese food and beer, I am ready to crash. We go home, and fall asleep at 8pm.<br /><br /> It is 11am as I write this. I have been up since 7.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-2322525613651686605?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-38291821093575855782008-07-17T06:19:00.000-07:002008-10-22T06:26:32.529-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8pVZcSxCI/AAAAAAAAAAU/kiFu-Zmg40w/s1600-h/DSCN0090.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8pVZcSxCI/AAAAAAAAAAU/kiFu-Zmg40w/s320/DSCN0090.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259968337375577122" border="0" /></a><br />I knew, upon departure, that I would be crossing the dateline. You see, flying over the pacific from the west coast USA puts you one day ahead.<br /><br />“I’m losing a day of my life!” I joked at Cap’s<br /><br />“But you get it back when you come back across” says Doc.<br /><br />Yes, that would be the case IF I were flying back. But I’m not. I’m circling the earth, westward bound.<br /><br />I knew I was losing a day.<br /><br />I had no idea going into this, that I would be losing 2 days.<br /><br />Gather round, children, and read the sad tale of my first day of my excellent adventure.<br /><br />This blog entry shall be titled:<br /><br />Why July 17, 2008 will go down as the most pointless and unnecessarily expensive day of my entire life<br /><br />Or….<br /><br />Why I hate the Canadian Government<br /><br /><br />I have had my share of problems with the Canadian Government. Here’s a brief history:<br /><br />In 1998, I was a bad rebellious little boy, and wandered into a ShopKo in Coeur d’ Alene, ID. I decided not to pay for some CDs, and was apprehended while leaving the building. This unfortunate learning experience happened to occur shortly AFTER I turned 18, and thus went into my permanent record. I was convicted, spent a night in Jail, paid a hefty fine, and did community service. I paid my debt to society.<br /><br /><br />Then in 1999, I was traveling to Vancouver with some friends, and was stopped while trying to cross the Canadian border. Apparently, even if you’re criminal record only has one blemish (in my case: petty theft – misdemeanor), you are not allowed into Canada. I was told that I had to wait 5 years from the time of the offence before I would be allowed back in. My friends dropped me off in Bellingham, and continued on their way. I did not live in B-ham at the time.<br /><br />Fast forward to 2003, five years after the offence. I breathe a sigh of relief, as I am now free to enter Canada again. I join a band with 3 Canadians and 2 Americans (C.R. Avery and Flags Kill). We have rehearsals, we play shows, we cross the border and cross the border and cross the border. Everything is Hunky Dory. I also cross the border many times to go to concerts and drink with my 19 year old friends, and everything is cool.<br /><br />But everything is not cool.<br /><br />For you see, the border guards just never ran my name thru the system. They would just glance at my ID, and waive me thru. I got lucky. Many, many times.<br /><br />Fast forward to about 8 months ago. I am featured at the Vancouver poetry slam. High profile poetry gig, with guaranteed money. I’m pumped. I take my Subaru to the Canadian border. I’m stopped, and told to go to the immigration office.<br /><br />“What are you, STUPID?” asks the Canadian border guard in a severe New Yorker accent. “You know you can’t go to Canada!!!”<br /><br />“But I have been going to Canada! For years!” I reply<br /><br />But ohhhhh no. I am supposed to report to the Canadian Consulate in Seattle to take a “criminal rehabilitation course” and pay the Canadian Government $400 (for an offence I COMMITTED IN THE USA!)<br /><br />No one informed me of this fact before. I was pissed. I canceled the poetry gig, and the dark cloud of shame hovered overhead. I might as well have committed rape, or gotten a D.U.I, or been a wife beater as far as the Canadians were concerned. But my crime was non-violent. I was a thief, and I am a criminal.<br /><br />SO!<br /><br />This morning David Zhang, Will Costello and I fly from SeaTac to Vancouver Intl. We are connecting to Shanghai. No big deal right? I’m not going to Canada, I’m going to China. I should be able to travel from one gate to another and catch my flight no problem, right?<br /><br />WRONG!<br /><br />To my horror, there is a customs desk on the way to our gate.<br /><br />“William, and David Zhang, you two are free to proceed. Mr. Ney, come with me.” says the Canadian Customs Guard.<br /><br />Will and David, being the good friends they are, follow me to the customs office to find out my status. Mind you we have 30 minutes to board our flight to Shanghai. I get the big DENIED, and I tell Dave and Will to go on without me. We hug, and I tell David to check his email. They run to catch their flight, and just barely make it.<br /><br />Canada will not let me catch my flight. They make me catch a flight back to the U.S., at my own expense, of course. They can get me back to Seattle, but I’ll lose my ticket to Shanghai. $600 bites the dust. Seattle has no flights to Shanghai. I decide to fly to Los Angeles, because it is likely I will be able to catch a flight to Shanghai from there. Air Canada tells me I’m getting a deal, because flying from Seattle to Vancouver, and then Vancouver to Los Angeles costs more than $600. Zhang purchased our tickets ages ago. I thought I was getting a deal on the initial ticket!<br /><br />So, here I am sitting in LAX, City of Angels, waiting for my flight on Air China. I pay another $800, which I really could have used while traveling for the next 8 MONTHS. But I have no other options. I have no home to go back to. I have paid for Visas, train tickets, and a return flight home in February. I have a gig in Moscow. I haven’t worked my ass off at two jobs all year for nothing. I have no other choice. I must proceed.<br /><br />I must do this.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-3829182109357585578?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991779208784653098.post-21102515482955280142008-07-16T06:10:00.000-07:002008-10-22T06:18:53.778-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8nVcvmPLI/AAAAAAAAAAM/RS7WHyi_nZI/s1600-h/Zhang.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2B87MLdJ9dU/SP8nVcvmPLI/AAAAAAAAAAM/RS7WHyi_nZI/s320/Zhang.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259966139238595762" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Zhang and Ney<br />Preemptive Ex-pats<br />Aluminum sleeping pill<br />Booze machine<br />Filtered content<br />Armed with guitars<br />Littered about, of course I refer to brain fragments<br /><br />Ah, eve of departure<br />Well soaked, stupid lungs<br />We mature fast<br />It's bedtime, where did the sofa go<br />Thanks for the opium, buddy<br />Little shits lit like snakes upon my ciggy<br />Wow, Deb, I'm in another world<br />Cat bite, BANG, back to the party<br />There's ALL THESE PEOPLE here<br />Battery charger nowhere in sight<br />Yelling<br />Laying down<br />Almost a full moon<br />Take a bite<br />FUCKING CAT!!<br />We have achieved crunk-ness<br />Give me a piggy back ride<br />To the Olympics<br />And then Stalin's old stomping grounds<br />von Krusenstiern statue here I come<br />Eastside and west<br /><br />It's late, gotta cross that dateline<br />Until March<br />Bellingham<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5991779208784653098-2110251548295528014?l=strayney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>David Anarchy Michel Neyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17120413768288225127noreply@blogger.com0