> Language > Place: (un)fettered territory, domestica, december 2010

Behind that door is my bedroom. A space which I have occupied for over 20 years. Its walls demarcate the boundaries of my sole sovereign territory in this world: a place where I may do as I please, can always return, and am sure to be safe.

All that lies behind that door is utterly me: books, photos, cds, clothes, shoes, and an assorted tools and materials to create with. There is a bed, a bookshelf, a desk, a chair and a wardrobe.

But I am now 28. Behind that door is a space filled with frustration and restlessness. Amongst the lingering shadows of who I've been, stifled dreams are strewn across the walls and they pool on the floor. I am often absent; returning only to change, occassionally sleep and otherwise leave, at almost every given chance.

Behind that door could be anything, but at the same time, the possibilities have already been decided.

separate beings

civilisation

When decades become like days
and years become like hours
What will we remember of the sights we've seen?

Will we reminisce on those great gone empires
and those lost exotic lands we had visited
but forget what we had built? Here,
in our own home?

Those night lights that we made burn
and the bells we made chime
with nothing but our own breath?

cinderella

words

nuts and bolts

this love of ours

is like that song on the radio

everyone likes how it sounds

but they don’t hear us tuning up every day

this life of ours

is like the house next door

you can’t see the holes in the walls

someone’s painted over them all

just once in a while baby, i don’t want to see the strings

just once in a while baby, i don’t want to see the screws

in the mood for murder

In May last year, Arthur wrote a little short story about my George and Beatnik as follows:

"Dear Diary,

I want to kill my friend George.
I haven't yet fully comprehended why this feeling is gushing out of me. All I know is that I will never be satisfied until I end him.
Is it his bovine features? His stupid blue scarf? The fact he has had only 2 baths his entire life?
Maybe is the incessant stream of sentences coming out of his mouth, talking about his 'supposed' girlfriend. Ha! As if a disgusting blob like him could ever get one.
Even when he's silent I want to slide a knife between his ribs. Watching his jaw move up and down as if he is chewing some imaginary cud is enough to make any sane man fill with blood lust.

I'm shaking with rage and nervous with anticipation. The moment will come soon and then George my friend. My only friend. You will die.

- Beatnik"

In  late December 2009, I was inspired enough to draw a little sketch of how this story could be brought to life, based on the bad teddy threadless t-shirt:

Nine months later, after a week of frentic activity, a crash course in drawing with MS Publisher, how to use Adobe Illustrator, and a lot of drawing with one finger on a touch pad I managed to convert my sketch into this:

Now to make it a t-shirt. :)

Let it die (Break Up CD #2, Mix CD #6)

After 7 months of listening to about 30 songs over and over again, I managed to put together my 6th Mix CD, which is also happens to be my 2nd break-up CD.

Below is the tracklisting. If you'd like a copy of the CD, just let me know in a line or something.

1. Cyann & Ben - I can't pretend anymore
2. Rufus Wainwright - This Love Affair
3. Damien Rice - Volcano
4. Mia Doi Todd - Muscle, Bone & Blood
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Runaway
6. Rebekah Del Rio - Llorando (Crying)
7. Bon Iver - The Wolves (Act I And II)
8. Tran Thu Ha - Tinh Xa
9. Sarah Blasko - Down On Love
10. Dntel - Anywhere, Anyone
11. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - To Be By Your Side
12. Chikara Tsuzuki - Yumeji's Theme (Harmonica Version)
13. The Fray - Ungodly Hour
14. Bic Runga - Say After Me
15. Nina Simone - I'll Look Around
16. Feist - Let It Die
17. Coldplay - Lost? (Acoustic)
18. Xavier Cugat - Perfidia
19. Bjork - All is full of love
20. Smashing Pumpkins - Perfect