R.S.O.T.W.

found a digital camera in my car if you lost one email me the description fatpatsat@hotmail.com (lara or mike b?)

Do You Want More?!!?!?!?!

the secret tapes



busker.covent garden


How bout that Warren Buffet? Alright been awhile so here's whats good. Aside from watching the footie with the roomies (got a little tipsy with Javier cheering on Frankie's Netherlands last night, to no avail)
I been mostly at work, where the clientele's a sort of international Yaletown baller variety and every woman in the place is modelicious, I'm actually kind of sick of it (+ <= its world's smallest violin!)

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Yet considering the demographic the customers are pretty cool, we get French, Spanish, Italian, and some Balkaners (is that a word?) for me to stay fresh on. I'll be getting tips today, which makes the first income in over 2 months and not a second too early, its playtime so no more movies no more books! ha I forgot how incredibly good Hoop Dreams was... its basically the JayDee/J-Dilla (THE underhyped producer of Janet's Got Till Its Gone, Tribe's 1nce Again, Find A Way, De La, Q-Tip, Slum Village you get the picture.. RIP) of movies. Not just a basketball documentary but rather a defining snapshot of the urban adolescent's dream in America.

Anyway this Polish girl Anya burned the rest of LOST Season 2 (what an angel) so Ima be glued to the screen for awhile, right after I finish with this just arrived, much awaited Stills album Logic Will Break Your Heart (thx JD).

The brotha beside me is webcamming an 11 year old thats my cue to wrap up

Randoms

R.S.O.T.W.

Just finished a couple books, Memoirs of a Geisha is an engrossing story that probably deserves all the acclaim it's received, now I just have to see the movie. Haven't read a novel recently which embodies sentiment without being hackneyed.

Balance of Power is an intriguing, educational novel about gun control, looking at the underlying influences within American politics, from the President on down through the Senate to the courtrooms and media.

Ok so this weekend I made it out to The Cross, a world famous club, for their Club Azuli (huge house label) night. Rolled out with Mike (whose room I moved into) and partied the night away, quite literally until 7am. Met loads of people in the 3 rooms, pulled a couple, good times had by all, everyone I met was envious that this was the first club I've gone to (as if how could I be so lucky?!?)

Powered by a couple caps I came home and went for a run in the streets, avec ball (I'm obsessive compulsive) and then passed out for 24 hrs.

Ok so good news I had to share, my bro JD is coming out beginning August for 12 days as a graduation present (just finished gr12), so add another name to the list of people to look forward to. Take care everyone.

Ghetto Styles

Guerilla update here, Saturday and I'm chillin, no work til Monday but no bread to go and play (recurring theme). Got my phone and oddsnends sorted, so here's the pics (more from Lausanne too). Maze was overbearing so I found another job, at Tartine in South Kensington which seems super relaxed, small staff.

Had to get some 'dark trainers' for the new job so that was an excuse to get some cheap basketball shoes, although I was in Piccadilly Circus (the famous part of Central London, with all the buses and the big screens) the massive sporting goods outlet had only rubber basketballs, so I caught 3 different tubes way out to East London (at the appropriately picturesque Canada Water stop) in rush hour no less, in hopes of tracking down a half-decent ball. The Tube system at rush hour is amazing, considering London has 12-13million ppl and everyone trying to use the trains at once, so you end up watching them go by packed to the brim. My unflappable determination landed me wedged into the corner of one car, although initially I was caught in the door and ended up literally standing at a 35 degree angle the whole trip.

I was rendered with child-like ecstasy upon finding my ball that I attempted to dribble up the stairs in the middle of the Tube Station, needless to say this ended in some slapstick comedy (use your imagination).

Then off to the nearest court/cement pitch, where I shot around (swish and the ball bounces over the fence, nice design) before some kiddies and a few guys recruited me to play some footie, where I promptly proved my ineptness in goal. But the 6 year-olds here are actually pretty skilled.


Most of the roomies flew home for the weekend or working, but might hit up The Cross tonight which is renowned. For some reason I haven't been cooking at all, making do with yogurt, sandwiches, and cookies for dinner, last night was the first meal I've actually used heat for since I moved in (on the 11th). I think even Manny was a little disgusted by that.

The Crib (like my pastels?)


The Hood


Heaven across the Street


Piccadilly Circus at night


Some club


Lisa, Josh, Lily at some club


Josh and myself


Josh at the Hyde Park Gate


note the Machinist to the left


Buckingham Palace instills an inflated sense of patriotism in me

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Lausanne

The beach party - nice spelling Darius


Its a court... on grass

Trev is the absolute man. Wheres the videos

So it appears my friend has found his USB, I don't know where you are buddy but propers.
enjoy.. also at the end, all Trev's new pics.

Also introducing a new addition on the blog,
Random Serbs of the Week (every Monday)



my new job (Maze)




Does it get any better? (Corfu)










Pink Palace on x-dressing night


Turkey




Once upon a time in Groningen


Trev in Athens




Trev and Robyn on top of the world

World Cup + other random thoughts

Kaka is my favorite player.

The hedgehog villain in X-Men 3 is a disgrace to Asians everywhere.

Mavs in 5.

"So this totally jacked black guy says to me.." is an acceptable introduction to an anecdote.

The Cactus Club Cafe truly IS "world famous."

Alcohol and my verticality tendencies are inversely related ratio.

Wine drops only spill when you're serving it with the most expensive entree in the most exclusive restaurant, never at home pouring for yourself.

There's an almost unbearable amount of tourists in this city. (the irony's not lost)

Green Wing is the Arrested Development of Europe.

Spontanaeity can be arranged.

Lightning Strikes Twice

So after a pretty easy interview (although my probable eye infection made it a little bit Tourette's) I have a position as "chef de rang" aka head waiter at world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay's restaurant Maze. (http://www.gordonramsay.com/) Trial day is Monday, fine dining > bar work. I'd also met a Brit pub owner named Mark who follows hockey and stays up to watch the NBA Finals, wouldve been great to work for him (actually he lives in Victoria running a pub too) but he was candid and said the 2 jobs didn't even compare. Funnily enough he said since I worked at Cactus Club it would be an eyes-closed breeze.. he even worked at Earls on Fir way back when he was 19! (crazy.) I hope to catch a couple games with him, super cool guy.

On the other front, I've been feeling the stress of finding a place the last couple days, partly b/c been spending time looking for work and not realizing that it takes a month to find housing (says Josh, Lily, everyone). Since Josh is leaving soon the clock was ticking.. this morning checked a flat for 110p/wk out in Hoxton, East London - at that price no way it was still available. After calling the guy and being told that my only chance was to show up with a deposit, I tubed out there (pretty close, only takes about an hour on the tube - that's how big London is) and after walking through some ghetto, discovered that Mike wasn't there.
So I met a couple of his flatmates, Javier and Frankie (Spain, Holland) and dozed off in the kitchen for a couple hours. Finally he turns up (he was in his room the whole time ????) and we cut a deal.

I HAVE HOUSING. After a day, (thanks Josh!!) thats a miracle. People tell me its a super trendy district, from what I gather its like Commercial Drive, so I'm stoked, will be moving in ASAP. Other than that, London's pretty happening, Josh's friends are cool and pubs everywhere are packed. And I am at negative funds.

Can't figure out the USB on Josh's laptop so still no pics, nor can I figure out how to phone home on this phone card, if anyone wants to holla at me,
011442072447119 until Monday. We're ahead 8hrs of PST. Take care everyone

Sorry

If I have emailed or phoned you while drunk, it should not be taken as an insult but instead as flattery. Half the time it will be incoherent and in Serbian but rest assured they are all compliments. I am enjoying a wonderful chili sauce mixed with mayonnaise on rice, courtesy of kos kesh. Its amazingly frustrating how everything closes at 12 here, so after the bar you can't even go to Mcdicks or find a 711 to snake some jerky. Since Patrick is low on moolah its time to find employment though, stay tuned..

Also, Trev managed to fall in love in Greece, a sweet sob story, that's about the update I have for our favorite broiler.

I will be in London tm night, post the rest of Lausanne pics then. Thanks a million to Darius for his unwavering hospitality all week. Mavs or Heat?

Non Sequitur

Different post today. Its wonderful in Lausanne, at times eerily like Vancouver, which gives me some pause. In all the hubbub of travelling, I'm taking a moment to marvel at what's going on in the world (it's been so long w/o news).

Riverbend's new update to her blog (Baghdad Burning @ http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/) is a reminder of such - an Iraqi woman's account of the daily horrors she faces. (Her excerpted book is shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Award)

Ignorance is a wondrous thing, for example I've been raving about the Balkans to everyone, yet until yesterday didn't know that Montenegro (now officially) has achieved independence from Serbia.

Finally sick of the tedious cycle of alcohol consumption, I got to raid Darius' bookshelf for two absolute gems (short enough to read in an evening):

How To Build A Time Machine by Paul Davies - A thrilling read for the layman (myself), theoretical quantum physics is broken down into pictures and simple rules we can understand, showing how time travel is possible and to construct a vehicle for said purpose. Sounds horrid but trust me, if you've done high school math or physics (I didnt) its worthwhile.

Siddhartha by Herman Hesse - An engrossing novel about a man's search to find God and wisdom, set in Buddhist influences, the Nobel Prize winner conjures the spiritual and the philosophical in a simple way that is accessible to everyone. A life-changing book, easy to read but challenging to absorb.

So that was yesterday, besides watching X-Men 3 (Haysen did they cut your scenes out? I didn't see you). There's been parties all over the place so don't worry the blog isn't going all Aristotle.

Simply chillin

Pondering the theft of two horsies


D-bo and roommate Pia (right) and Paloma, of Valencia


Bo knows fashion


Pieces from the Beaulieu (Collection de L'Art Brut Lausanne)



Switzerland on one side, France (Evian) on the other


So I walked into town to check out one of the two attractions, the Beaulieu (a museum of art created by the mentally unstable, criminally insane, what have you) and was spellbound for a couple hours. You're not allowed to take pictures but I managed to get a couple videos, its intriguing what the human mind is capable of. From 50 ft painted scrolls, to life-like figures and constructed treehouses with hidden doors (I didn't see the no touching sign, but yeah all the compartments work) - its definitely the coolest museum Ive ever been to.

Its funny how the city center is built directly into a steep hill, so the train station and surrounding shops (and tourist areas) can only be reached by traversing this incline.. You see all the locals stumbling downwards and little kids trudging uphill cheerfully, anyways on this hill I found a shoe store that's liquidating, voila now I have basketball shoes! (Air Force 1s no less, good on style but lacking in the comfort - but if Sheed can, so can I)

So not having done laundary I rocked the new outfit (as pictured) to the open run with D-bo, some pretty decent games there after the initial run-around. We ran fulls for 3 hrs (I'm at 7-3 in international pickup now) then absolutely dead trudged home to get ready for some dorm party. Shared a couple bottles of wine over another carbonara, then another night of getting bombed. Repetitive eh?

I'm out to London from Geneva on the 7th to stay with Josh Jackson and find some work and some digs. If that doesn't work out maybe get hired by some Korean English school and bounce over there, Nick Auld (Cactus) and Hanks Lee (Amsterdam) await.

The Heat should re-sign Tim (Bug) Hardaway just for a shot at the ring, I think.

Last legs in Lausanne

Updated pics and vids for Italy and Switzerland, only missing Greece now go check'em

Chillin at the quad with D-bo, actually he's at school and I'm recovering from the cumulative effects of last night and this whole trip. Everyone speaks French here. Slammed some beers at the university pub, where everyone sits around playing chess and backgammon (backgammon??) and I got hustled by some Persian. With his friends Sulee (crazy thats my moms name) and Hector yammering away in Espanol we eventually sat down to some good ol spaghetti carbonara avec hamon (thats ham). Its a bit crazy to think about the 5000km travelled in just over a month (I'd kill for those Corfu videos, cmon Trev) but once again looking forward to having homebase and just kickin it.

How bout those Suns?

Rained out at Interlaken, Zooming thru Bern

Balmer's Herberge is the place to be in Interlaken, even all the people from other hostels come and party here - they have their own grill, bar and underground club. The 2 happy hours were overkill for me since I'd smoked a bottle of vino at 4pm, however my new Canuck roommates Chris and Kyle (Edmonton) were chillin along with Matt (Perth). Everyone seemed choked about the rain b/c it cancles all the hang gliding, canyoning, hiking, parasailing, basically the reason for coming to Interlaken.. so everyone watches movies and plays pool or foosball. I really want to see XMen3. Anyway we met a bunch of dudes from Florida and started drinking games, but not until after I shelled out 15 francs (about 14 Cdn) for a triple species burger, which is exactly as it sounds. By 10pm all us rowdiness were kicked out to the downstairs club - these Swiss are very strict about their noise and closing hours. However I was dunzo.



Next day talked to Darius and Carola who are in Lausanne and Bern respectively, so was going to meet her for lunch at some coffee shop - but her accent although cute is indecipherable, which was an omen. On the train I freaked out all the old people bouncing from WC (thats toilet) to WC in search of finding water for shaving. Then came back and had an epic struggle with my backpack in an attempt to find some half decent clothes - also witnessed by all. The Brit couple next to me practically applauded this Herculean task, to which I responded, only for a girl (a universal concept if ever there was one). That cracked up most of the car so now I just had to find this Nespresa place.
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Bern was great for the afternoon I was there but after hundreds of wayward footsteps and a few ambiguous phone calls we could never find each other and Carola had to go back to work, which was frustrating, so I stopped into a cafe joint beside the train station and ended up dropping 23 francs on a half-ass buffet plate. So in retrospect I should have just skipped Bern.