link-sink-rink-pink

Hm. My other blogging friends and acquaintances seem to be poet-ing much. I may have written a poem once, when I was nine. Something about Christmas being near and it was published in the Montreal West Informer. But I have inside connections there, you see.

Anyway, this intro is just to get you to read my friend Steve's very cool, urban and actual poetry. Like JD Salinger said in my favourite story -For Esmé, With Love and Squalor- see if you can guess who I am in this tale. ;)

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Please note: I have added new links to my list over there on the side. Please note: many, if not MOST, of these people have not returned the favour. I'm ashamed.

hello, is it me you're looking for?

I have made a minor splurge on an answering machine. No splurge at all, when you consider that the total cost of the machine, plus 3 year store warranty, plus taxes, will come out the equivalent of only 5 months of Caller ID service or phone-company answering service. Phone companies are a rip-off.

When I sat down last night -around midnight, after The Dears at Metropolis- I felt like it was 1982 and I had no idea what message you could possibly leave on an answering machine. "Leave a message"? Too obvious, duh. Anyway, try it and see. I'm afraid the recording quality is not pristine, but it will have to do.

So, yes, last night The Dears were beautiful and brilliant. Too bad they only started playing close to 11pm. When I left, the streets were packed, so I guess I'm one of the few that has an issue with this late hour. Oh yeah, lots of people have today off. Forgot. Not me, I took my "Canada day" already. Charles (see? there you are Charles) invited me on a free ticket he got. Such connections. Ran into Chris and his band, who EVERYONE will be going to see on Sunday night. Also into les boys from the Claremont who will be lucky enough to be in town for Shane's show on Tuesday evening. I'll be in Hawaii instead, but you know I'd rather be in Montreal. Really. PS I also liked The Besnard Lakes, one of the opening bands.

Did you HEAR the clap of lightning this morning? 7:38am? Was it on the mountain?

Today would be a great day for croissants and the New York Times -paper, not online. I think I'll trudge off to work before it starts pouring again, instead.

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PS: check out this guy's cool pictures of Montreal life at http://www.art-clark.com/.

Nothing special, just an update of what I'm... up... to. I'm leaving for Hawaii next Tuesday, something I have mixed feelings about. I know! It's Hawaii, everyone wants to go... except me. Hawaii, I like to say, is where people on the Price on Right go. On the positive side, I've never been anywhere tropical, it'll be different. I hope.

So before that happens, I plan on watching the England-Portugal game this Saturday. Any ideas on where I should watch it? And on Sunday Chris is playing at the Jazz Fest (I assume you're playing with The Fabulous Lolo Plays Rocksteady, Chris) so I hope to bring some people to watch that. Monday is my pre-travel day off, for laundry, packing, and this time: La Ronde! I'm going back after... 20 years? Julian & Justine and friends will be my hosts.

While I'm gone, I urge you all to go watch Shane Murphy at the Jazz Fest. Sorry I'll miss it.

***
Life's burning questions:
-Why is Place DES Arts and Place D'Armes, and not Place D'Arts or Place DES Armes?
***

In regular news:
- herbs are doing well. I'll be planting flowers later today.
- bathtub has not been cleaned, but I did unclog the sink!
- can't remember the last time I used the Swiffer on the kitchen floor. Doesn't look too too bad though.
- ironed today, woohoo!

PET scan

I was VERY surprised to hear one of my favourited Magnetic Fields songs -I think I need a new heart- on a tv commercial. I'm trying to think what it was for, and I can only remember a puppy. Was it for pet food or magnetic radiation as pet therapy? Hmm... Anyone?

de regreso de veras?

Ahora sí estoy devuelta en Montreal: casa. Me emocioné varias veces en los vuelos de vuelta pensando en mi casa, la ciudad. Y ahora que estoy en mi departamento me parece todo un poquito ajeno y mío a la vez. Es decir, reconozco todo pero no lo reconozco. Como si otra persona hubiera estado viviendo aquí con mi identidad y ahora volví, como los osos de Risos de Oro, y encontré algo raro y diferente. Familiar pero desconocido.

¿Será que una partida tan larga, incluyendo lo que me pareció harto tiempo sola en un país desconocido, cambia las cosas? Tuve un momento "charlotte" en el avión sobre Baja, de regreso. Creo, o espero, sí haber dado vuelta una hoja que hace muuuucho tiempo no levantaba. Una pena en el corazón antigua, pasada, y que me vengo a dar cuenta de que todavía me da pena porque nunca me dediqué a sanarla, sino simplemente a olvidarla. En todo caso, acúsenme de reptir mi error -no lo creo- ese tiempo fue. Y ahora puedo ver qué era lo bueno que tengo que devolver a mi vida hoy. Así que partimos de nuevo, y quizás hagan falta muebles nuevos para demostrarlo!

Another perfect day in Cabo – June 13, 2006

There’s supposed to be t-shirts that say that for sale at some place in Cabo San Lucas. I haven’t been to CSL (not to be confused with Cote-St-Luc) yet, though. And anyway, I think I’m done with my souvenir shopping. I got two things: an embroidered blouse in the traditional Mexican style, that I think will look good with jeans, and a gift for Hilly which I can’t describe yet since it has to remain a surprise for her. It was Hilly’s birthday while I was away.

Oh, wait. I’m still away. Right. But of course, I’ll only be posting this once I’m back. The cabin I’m staying in does not –alas- have wireless internet access. In fact, I can’t find wireless anywhere except at Pepe’s Diving Center in Cabo Pulmo, 2 hours away. More on that location later. There are internet cafes, and I stopped at one on the road to Cabo Pulmo and pricelined my hotel for the 1 night I have to stay over at LAX. US$65 for the 4 star Westin, in case you’re wondering. Anyway, that’s all done, now I can rest knowing I won’t be sleeping on the floor of LAX (the chairs there have arm rests between each seat, and they don’t have wireless there either).

One small luxury I was able to find this afternoon after my return from the beach was an ice frappucino. Frapuccino? It was practically all I could think of as I sat watching my body toast in the sun, lying across from the Cortez Sea and the Gulf of California. Mmm, iced coffee! That’s when I realized: I will never be able to drop off the grid. Secluded location with awesome view, great. No iced coffee in a number 6 polyurethane cup? Baaaad. I had to go to 4 places to find one, but getting what I want: priceless. I also got to see the row of resort hotels in San Jose and that was when I realized, I wouldn’t want to stay in *that* much “luxury”, comfort, civilization, whatever you want to call it, either. It doesn’t seem like any fun. There were no gringos on the palm tree-lined avenue between the hotels. Only local employees in absurd pant and shirt uniforms. It’s 37 degrees and they look like they should be working at McDonalds! Crazy.

I’m going to recommend the place I’m staying at on Tripadvisor when I get back. It’s 3 cabins and 2 rooms on a garden lot, with a common barbecue kitchen. As of today I’m the only one here so everything is MINE! There are books, and cats, and it’s all run by a lovely Swedish lady called Asa, with the two dots over the first A. I think she’s been here 20 years. I noticed tonight, as I was getting some salt in the open air kitchen (it never ever rains here), that the cement walkway is inscribed:

“Build a resort, destroy a community. Mar 06”.

I wouldn’t be surprised if la Senora Asa had written that into the cement herself. She seems very disheartened that they’re building a marina in her town (we’re in Las Playitas, about 3 kms east of San Jose del Cabo) and a golf course, etc. You can tell already that this place will never be the tiny little town it is today. It’s not even a town. It’s a bunch of houses –some huge and expensive-looking; some huts you can see right through- and a couple of stores. And dogs and chickens and goats. And cats. Oh, yeah, and mostly: a beach that I can hear every evening when I go to bed. Perfect.
Cabo Pulmo: this is the greatest beach. It took me about 2 hours to get there. It’s on what’s called the East Cape, so further North and East from Cabo. Directly facing the Sea of Cortez, unlike Cabo which is at the junction between the Pacific and Cortez. The Sea of Cortez is much warmer than the pacific. Anyway, the place is fantastic. It’s all desert on the way, with huge cacti (mm?) that I took a picture of, and skinny oxen, and I guess the birds I saw hovering were vultures. Really. And then…. Then you see the clear blue green sea, and white beaches. I pulled up through dusty roads and after a disappointing experience at Nancy’s Restaurant (Chicago ex-pat; her place has been reviewed in the NYT; she wouldn’t store my water bottle in her fridge while I ate), parked at the beach. It was the closest I think I’m going to get to a secluded beach worth swimming in. There were maybe 5 other people on at least 1 km of sand and pebbles. Occasionally snorkeling boats would go by on the horizon. There’s a reef in this area. Which makes for great swimming since the waves break further out than in most places I’ve seen here so far. I sat and toasted all afternoon and thought about nonsense. Tried to make sense of nonsense. Tried to give up making sense of nonsense. My conclusion: my vacation might be perfect if at the place I’m staying, El Delfin Blanco, I could have wireless internet. Oh yeah, you can take the girl out of… ahhh

Bienvenida a México-06/12/06

Esperaba que me lo dijera el agente de aduanas, pero en vez fue mi compañía de celular la que me mando un mensaje de texto dándome la bienvenida al cruzar la frontera y avisándome que tenia servicio en este país.

Asi que por el momento el celular, y particularmente los mensajes de texto, es mi única conexión con el mundo ajena a Baja.

Me estoy quedando en una cabaña con techo de hojas de palmera y ventilador en el techo, por US$30 la noche, tan cerca de la playa que oigo las olas romperse cuando me acuesto a dormir. El lugar se llama El Delfín Blanco y lo maneja una señora sueca llamada Asa (se pronuncia Osa) que vive acá hace como 20 anyos y me dijo esta mañana que se considera mas mexicana que sueca. Eso, a pesar de los ojos azules y el pelo blanco-rubio. Es muy flaca y adivino que ella tiene como 65 o 70 anyos. Me la encontré anoche en el hotel hermano, Posada El Señor Mañana, en San José de Cabo, con uno vestido bordado, en el tradicional estilo mexicano. Me dio las indicaciones para encontrar las cabañas del Delfín Blanco, que queda en el siguiente pueblo : Las Playitas.

Y aquí estoy. Ayer en la tarde al llegar baje inmediatamente a la playa. Una playa larga, eterna, con algunas familias mexicanas mirando las olas y otras pescando. Están construyendo una marina aquí, y aparentemente esta todo cambiado y cortado el sentido del trafico. Imagino que es un plan turístico a futuro porque por estos días, me encuentro en el lugar menos visitado de los Cabos, creo. Camine por el pueblo, que son unas pocas casas: mansiones al lado de chozas, y entre medio crecen mangos y flores fucsia. Las calles son de tierra y hay perros. Entre a mirar el menú en un restaurant al aire libre donde ofrecían música en vivo y un tipo tocaba bosanova. Quizás vuelva esta noche.

Hoy me fui a lo que vine a hacer acá: nada en la playa. Después de consultar con la señora Osa, partí primero al supermercado mas grande que encontré en San José, el Mega. Ahí compre una toalla de playa, agua, y comida preparada: guacamole y arroz. También una plata suelta para mañana al desayuno. Olvide que iba a estar en la tierra de las paltas, aguacate! Me decidí por visitar hoy la playa el Chileno, quizás un poco por el nombre. Lamentablemente cuando llegue había un barco de turistas anclado en la playa que botaba personas en salvavidas naranja al agua y los recogía. Puaj. Camine hasta donde había menos de ellos y me eche en la arena, a la orilla del Mar de Cortez, calido pero fresco en comparación con los 37 grados que se supone que hacen todos los días en esta época. Al rato llego esto: un galeón español. Así es, con mas turistas que por suerte tiraron al agua en la parte mas profunda y por lo tanto alejada de la playa. Aunque di la vuelta a un roquerio y encontré una playa mas rustica, totalmente aislada, bajo mansiones desiertas, volví a El Chileno porque le tocaron una bocina a los turistas y se fueron, dejándome con apenas una docena de otras personas en la playa.

Mañana pienso partir temprano en mi auto arrendado al Cabo Este, que es la zona que enfrenta directamente el golfo de California, el mar de Cortez. O sea, el costado este de esta península. Iré a una playa que me recomendó una pareja tejana que alojo anoche aquí y se fue hoy: Cabo Pulmo. Lastima que no tengo certificación para hacer buceo. Ahí hay arrecifes. Que padre!

window of opportunity

I'm not really sure what to say but I thought I should check-in since this is my window of opportunity to blog between work in LA (finished up last night at 11pm) and my disappearance from the grid in Baja later today.

LA is weird. I've been here twice before. Once for 2 weeks in 2000, when I stayed with Alejandro Alaluf (I stayed on his sofa for 2 weeks! que patuda!) and he took to me see all these dream pop bands around the city. I really got a good tour and I *still* don't fully understand that the Valley is North and not South of downtown. That time I visited the Standard, and Hollywood, saw the city from the hills, went to Malibu, etc. I also stayed one night with my dear friend Andrea L'Huillier in Long Beach, and went with her to the Pokemon tournament on the QE. I have a picture with a giant Pokemon somewhere....

The other time was for a little under a week in 2004, when I stayed with Pablo, Becca and Gabe, right before travelling to San Francisco to meet Elvirita. Pablo and Becca lived closer to the Burbank airport, I remember, and I got to see the Chilean band my friend Pablo manages, Lucybell, in LA, with the local fans taking pictures of the boys with their phone cameras. Surreal, to me at least. I've seen Lucybell play 500 times, I'm sure, but I had never seen them being watched by an American audience.

Speaking of Pablo, he was in town this week and we met for a brief drink and "what's up with you" moment. It was great to hear he and the band are still up to their usual antics, including staying at a hotel that caught on fire, and ensuing chaos and door-busting to find missing band members. It all ended well, no worries. It always does. The gang escapes unscathed.

Anyway, this time in LA I haven't seen much besides the convention center. What else is new. But a bunch of us did go to a trendissimo sushi resto somewhere soooo cool, the cab driver thought we were nuts to go there. And the resto was soooo trendy we had to wait 2 hours to get our food served. Very trendy. I guess it's been a long time since I left Santiago because it doesn't feel normal anymore to be at places like that. Sitting in my trendy cardboard chair (yes, cardboard!) I thought that if I was in a place like that in Chile, it would be the opening week and I would know half the people in the room in one way or another, and we'd all be drinking our sake champagne and laughing, "because there's nothing else to do" (Pulp). Trendy, trendy. Oh, it was called R23 in case you're looking for it.

Last night some others of us went to the Figueroa Hotel's pool-side bar. I love the look of that hotel. It's totally eclectic, with something moorish about it. There was a star-lamp behind us, like the one Richi used to have hanging on his balcony. A metal 3-D star with punctures and a light inside. The pool had a floating dish of incensey coals burning. It was great. But it lasted too little.

So now I'm off. 10 more minutes to check-out. Sad that Elvirita isn't going with me to Baja, because she couldn't get the time off work, but happy that I'm going to the beach at last. I so miss the beach. And that man that read my birthchart said I should live by the sea... The owner of the cabins I'm going to is a Swedish lady who has lived in Baja for 20 years. I think too many people think it's too hard to just drop off the grid and move permanently to their dream place, but honestly... I think you can live anywhere you want to. You really can. Well, not me, because I can't divide myself, and that's the only way I could find the perfect place to live: Montreal with a short drive to New England and a short drive to the central and lower north coast of Chile. Impossible.

Amigos, I'll see you when I get back.

i text you

I tried texting my friend Pablo yesterday and got very unusual results. He's in LA and I'm in LA. I think I have his number wrong in my cell, because after ignoring a call from "unknown" (I'd have to pay roaming charges just to find out who it was), I texted him the following:

-(in Spanish) Was that you calling?

reply: Love is a dog from hell.

My text back: ah?

Reply: The romans thought of love as a disease of the mind.

My text back: Is that all there is to love?

Reply: That's just one side of that coin. But the more you flip the coin, the more you come up the chump. The more you play, the deeper you fall. Done & done.

No text from me to that.

Later: Timmiviathan?

--- end of text transmission--- so far!

My guess is Timmiviathan is a nick, and whoever was texting me yesterday thinks I am Timmiviathan. It doesn't have to be a guy on the other end, but something about the randomness of the exchange seems, well, poetic to me. Yeah, I'm incredibly lame like that, sue me.

I text you, fake-Pablo who thinks I am Timmviathan. Somewhere in LA...

Baja

This is a random man's photo. He posted it on Flickr so now I stole it, solely to show you where I am going in 1 week.

Right now I'm finishing up my errands (only manicure and pedicure left, and some other things left by the wayside) and getting ready to head over to Ana's housewarming, with her rooftop pool and fully staffed bar and whatnot. Hurrah!

In a week, I'll be on my way to San José del Cabo, Baja California, Mexico. I will spend lots of money to spend four days on the beach, doing absolutely nothing but bake, and read maybe, and swim. Nothing else. Eat and sleep. Tops.

El Delfín Blanco is a "charming" collection of cabins about 300 metres from the Pacific Ocean. It's run by a charming Swedish lady I just confirmed my reservation with. Turns out, she has some Brinck in her family history as well. When you hear that, you just know you've found the right place, don't you? She was explaining the difficulties of getting into town by bus nowadays since the road changed and the tournism declined. I said "I'm looking for an isolated beach to be by myself". "Then it's perfect" she said, and I believe her. I'm also renting a car (for HOLY MOLY C$9.95 a day!) so if I want to tour around I can.

Anyway, hopefully there'll be more to tell later, but I wanted to let you know. Baby's first trip to Mexico and I couldn't be more excited. (NB baby is me, of course)