WHERE YOU FROM?

I was watching TV on my own on the couch and saw the ad for the new Max Payne 3 game. I have no interest in the game because I'm crap and can't play that kind of stuff. The soundtrack caught my attention... I thought I recognised the sound from somewhere and I immediately thought of HEALTH. I was right. The track in question is called Tears. I really like HEALTH and I'd love to see them live because they must be awesome. I wish I could have seen them opening for NIN... sigh!

This is Die Slow :)

ACUPUNTURE!

I hurt my back badly and I haven't been able to move my neck for a week... The worst thing is that I cannot sleep because I can't get comfortable :(

I went to the Natural Clinic on Brewer Street for acupuncture and shiatsu. I had needles all over (see an example below...)

I feel a bit better, but I need to go back. They said that it is going to take a bit longer for my back to heal... I'm stuck, exhausted and bored. I hate it when I'm ill and cannot function properly.

They sent me home with microneedles in my hands and elbows. They are painless, but effective. They just look a bit funny.

ENDLESS BLUE...

She said it's cold out here

won't you let me in?

We've been in this rain for hours

you haven't said a thing.

And why do all the things have to change

just when they mean the most?

She said why do al the things have to change

just when they mean the most?

It always happens that way

It always happens that way.

(It's All Over, The God Machine, 1993)

TODAY...

I went down to the Wellcome Collection to see their new exhibition "Brains: The mind as Matter". I had to queue up for about 20 minites to get in... First time ever! I usually walk straight in.
 

The exhibition was very interesting. It featured pictures, artefacts, books, artworks and real brains. I got hypnotised by a video about trepanning and a bit disturbed by one on ECT. I also got intrigued by the two books below by Antonio Damasio. I couldn't choose between the two and couldn't afford buying both... dilemma!

 

 After the exhibition my own brain needed a break and some sugar ;)

I wore my new swans skirt today for the first time. I think it's really cute. Not a brainy quote to end, but hey!

HORIYOSHI III

Horiyoshi-sensei's art is on display at Somerset House until the 1st of July in an exhibition entitled "Kokoro:The Art of Horiyoshi III". Free entrance, which is nice :)
Argh! I want to go back to Japan!!!

Q&A WITH WERNER HERZOG

"Jeder Mensch ist ein Abgrund, es schwindelt einem, wenn man hinabsieht" *

In his latest documentary Werner Herzog investigates the reasons behind why people kill and why a state kills. He explores a triple homicide case in Conroe, Texas not describing the mere facts but, in his own words, focusing on the truth of death and also of life. Herzog achieves what he describes as “a gaze into the abyss of the human soul" through intimate conversations with various people involved in the case, including Michael Perry eight days prior his execution by lethal injection, the families of the victims and of the perpetrators and a state executioner; each party with very different yet truthful outlooks on life, society and death.
Herzog is one of my heroes, a living legend. This was my second Q&A with him and, as usual, everything he had to say was so interesting and fascinating. His ability of elaborating and explaining really difficult concepts in the most natural and eloquent way never ceases to amaze me. I could listen to him talking for hours!

*"Every man is an abyss and you get dizzy looking into it" (from Woyzeck by Georg Buechner)

HOW TO DANCE GOTH... SERIOUSLY FUNNY!

Whether you are or you were a goth, you'll find this video extremely funny and it will remind you for sure of somoene you know/knew (or maybe even of yourself?!). If you don't know anything about goths, well... your loss! Haha! Just joking. Just watch and have a laugh... Goths are not all that depressing ;)

How to Dance Goth from APBS on Vimeo.

LATELY...

I've been going out quite a bit lately... I think I spent only Monday night in this past week...
Last night I met up with Cat in Dalston and we went to the Spurstowe Arms, on Greenwood Road, for a catch-up chat before she leaves for Japan. It was a bit packed because it was Friday, but we managed to get a small table and had a good time. I definitely would like to go back for Sunday lunch. The food there seems to be really good. We had some wine and charcuterie last night and the quality was excellent.
I lingered in bed for most of the day today because my mum thought it was okay to call me at 3am while she was pigging out on Nutella! (we are a all a bit unconventional in my family...). The conversation dragged until almost 5am, therefore the sleep in today. I crawled out of bed at about 6pm and got ready to meet Giulia and Tommy for a bit of a St Patrick's Day celebration.

Ready to go! I like playing with my hair lately :)

I met the girls down at the Big Red on Holloway Road. Super packed. Because I didn't eat all day, I was particularly ravenous. We decided to order some food. Giulia got a burger, Tommy a bean chilli with rice and I had one of my classics: cheesy chilli chips and buffalo wings. It said on the menu that the chilli KICKED ASS, but yeah, we like spicy...

My God!!! It was so hot! Tommy couldn't finish hers. Mine was really tasty, but burnt like hell. I drank my Guinness in 5 seconds to extinguish my mouth. A real kick ass chilli :D

A BLAST FROM THE PAST #2

Oh my God!!! Why did I think of this?!!! I used to love dancing to this one... I didn't remember the video though, quite random... Well, it was ages ago... I probably didn't have a TV or a computer :D
Empirion 1993 ☻☺☻☺☻☺☻☺☻☺☻☺☻☺☻☺☻☺☻☺☻☺☻☺☻☺☻☺☻

GOOD THINGS TO EAT AND DRINK :)

I've been up to Fuji Foods near Alexandra Palace to get some Japanese food basics. I had almost nothing left in my cupboard; no miso, no rice, no sesame oil, no NATTO!!! I managed to get everything I needed and decided to prepare this salmon/ikura don for dinner. The shiso leaf tasted amazing and the final overall result was exaclty like at a restaurant. The only difference was the price. My home made don came up to approx. £5, if you order the same at a Japanese restaurant it would cost you an average of £12!

A couple of weeks ago I watched "Waitress" and started craving pie... Last weekend I baked a "Southern Pecan Pie". I'll post the recipe and new pictures soon. This was a first experiment and I've promised Tommy and Giulia that they could have one especially made :)

I like Costa's mocha. I only get it on a weekend. Today I got a star!

Giulia's famous Mango Margaritas. Perfect for our Mexican food and movies night :)

A BLAST FROM THE PAST #1

I watched "La Haine" for the first time in 1997 with my boyfriend of the time, a total arsehole with only one redeeming quality: good taste in movies. Since then I've watched it many times. Still, it gets to me everytime as if it were the first. Definitely one of my favourite films.

CHICKEN WINGS AND FRENCH TOAST

Tommy had the brilliant idea to make French toast out of a panettone Giulia brought back at Christmas. So good!!! It also works well as a base for trifle. We get so much panettone over Christmas that after a while we have to come up with alternative ideas to finish them off :)

On Friday night, after two pints at the Wheterspoons near the office, I was not only starving, but also craving chicken wings... We ended up at Yildiz on Blackstock Road. When Giulia and Tommy found out where I was, they rushed down, too. We had chicken wings, lamb ribs, liver, turkish sausage, salads, dips and scrumptious bread basted in the juices of the (real charcoal) barbecue meat. Very satisfactory and reasonably priced :)

SATURDAY

Fun (and a bit blurry) memories of Saturday night...




As usual, nothing comes up to Crouch End when it snows, so I had to walk part of the way home...

IF YOU WANT TO MAKE ME HAPPY...

... get me bagels from Brick Lane!




Thanks Tommy :)

CUPCAKES NIGHT :)

Tonight I went over to my sister's for Red Velvet cupcakes. There is this myth that onceI had 10 of them, but it's not true... I had 7. I went for a blood test the following day and the results were all out of kilter. Apparently these Magnolia-style cupcakes are 400 calories each. They are like bombs... I can't believe I had 2,800 calories in one session, haha! Tonight Giulia and I were very good and had only one each. Tommy was even better than us and had none! She'll have hers tomorrow. I cannot resist them when they are just out of the oven.

SAN FRANCISCO / OCTOBER 11