-

things are going to be a bit quiet here for the next month or so.

I hope you understand.

it’s early in the morning and my little bag is as packed as much as a little bag can be packed.

there’s less clothes, more toys.

hopefully, this will all make sense soon.

so, until then – if you’ll excuse me…

I’m off to go make something beautiful.

a

as you can see from this fabulous makeover, there’s changes in the air – and it’s not just aesthetical. I’m not sure that’s a word, but this wine disagrees, so we’re going to go with it for now.

for the past 3-4 months – along with finalizing the book, getting it ready for Amazon and iPads and the masses [who else is there, really?] – myself and a few others have been going back-and-forth on a little [now big] idea I’ve had for the better part of 5 years. that new title on the header bar might give you a clue…

it’s a really good idea and is in no way original, but it still just might work. there’s still not a lot I can say about it, which is tough, seeing how I’m crap at keeping exciting news a secret, but I can tell you it’s exciting news. I can also tell you that all of your wildest web dreams are about to come true – I’m about 72% sure of it.

here’s also what I can tell you:

- the OMKOS and rough sundays podcasts have all been archived and will be back here.

- I’m getting back into making little movies.

- I miss local live music.

- my current Flickr is messy.

- I am constantly blessed with meeting the most interesting and wonderful of people.

- there’s another book being worked on.

- and an app.

…

okay, so I was going to space all of that out over the next few months, but this wine is too tasty.

basically, what I’m saying is this:

check back often.

excuse the mess.

and get ready to see something pretty fuckin’ cool.

more soon.

a

-

well, thanks, little nephew of mine.

it’s been a helluva year, since my last birthday…

let’s see:

- Josie and I spent my 34th cruising on Absurdity in the South of England, if you learn to sail, you can have her [boat].

- after that, I went to go see Nico [he'll be a quasi-uncle to you] in Paris and had the time in Paris that everyone wants.

- but I got into a little bit of trouble with the U.K. government, and had 30 days to leave.

- so, naturally, I dragged Josie to Vietnam. to live.

- we stayed there for a few months, but ended up going our separate ways. she to Australia to work. me to Oregon to finish a book.

- a few months into my stay in Bend, I finally got to meet you. and that very day, I started writing another book.

- a month of so after that, I flew to Perth to see Josie for her birthday. we took a campervan around wine country. it was fun.

- a few months later, I left Bend for a month in Oklahoma and the promotional run of the book would be released. it sold out.

- a few weeks after that, I got the call that I never thought I’d get – I was about to take a job in New York fuckin City! I’ve now been here a little more than 4 months and it’s been amazing. I’ve been sending you little postcards and stuff, hopefully one day you’ll be able to check them out.

- my birthday was spent with a lot of friends. which, considering how short I’ve been here, should tell you how lucky I am.

… so there you go, nephew – it’s been a fun 34th year. you just started walking and by the time my 36th [ugh] rolls around, you might even be able to talk with me on the phone a little bit. a lot of your and my birthdays will be spent on the phone, but I’ll try and make that up to you.

so, thanks for the card and the cheeky little grin. I showed this to a lot of people here and they all thought you were amazing.

and I think so too.

love,

Uncle Aric

-

as you may, or may not have seen, this humble little website was down over the past few days. I’d like to think that it bothered you and suddenly the realization of what a fucking amazing blog this is resonated and you now appreciate it even more.

just let me think that, ok?

anyway, it was just the start of some major things to come. in a few short months, this will stop being only a blog and turn into something much bigger. there is currently a team of people working on it and very, very soon, it’s going to be a full-fledged living site, with more stuff than you can even imagine.

I can tell you that all of your dreams will soon come true.

here’s a few of the things you’ll be seeing:

- a photo gallery of my shots, with a very easy way of buying prints. my flickr is all over the place with screenshots and ripped images, etc, so this will make it easier to buy whatever prints you might want.

- a podcast area. I have all of the old OMKOS and rough sundays shows and will be putting them up, plus launching a new one here in the next 2-3 months. and it is, to date, the most wonderful show I’ve ever put together. it’ll be a bi-weekly show.

- videos. these are things that I’ve never been able to devote enough time to, but once a month or so, I’ll be releasing 2-3 minute shorts.

- a shopping area. the amount of things I’ve accrued over the years from different parts of the globe is insane. I always said that ‘someday, I’d put ‘em up on ebay’, but why do that when I can just sell them on my own site? stuff from all over the world.

- a forum. maybe. we’re kicking around this idea. am open for suggestions on it.

… those are the things that aren’t a secret.

trust that there’s going to be some other big stuff on the way.

I’m kind of excited, except that I’m really excited.

fun.

a

every time I go to write something, I usually don’t write something because writing takes effort. and I’m trying to enjoy the downtime between this book being officially released [read: on Amazon in the next few weeks, ebooks, etc.] and the next one starting. it’s a collection of short stories between Dec ’08-present. I’m looking forward to starting it, and I’m looking even more forward to being done with the first one. did you know I’ve never even read it? it’s sitting right next to me, as I had to reference it for a slight design change, but I’ve never picked it up. I should though, it’s a good book. but I digress…

this shall be the most random of catch-ups. I’m doing it more for me than you, but that shouldn’t come as a shock:

- it’s a shame we lost in the final minutes of the Women’s World Cup. it’s a shame we don’t give a shit. but well-played [for the first 108 minutes, at least], girls. you actually made female professional sports exciting. weird.

- the Vespa Saga continues. that actually deserves its own post and I will – as soon as I’m official – post the entire headache. if I do it now, I’ll just be annoyed.

- speaking of annoyed. I can no longer hide my insane jealousy for Mel and Nick’s choice to put their stuff in storage, quit their [very successful] careers and took off sailing the world for a few years. the only thing that outdoes my envy is my intrigue. and respect.

- this has been a favorite summer song for some time, and it is again this summer. hey, you should make it one of yours.

- oh! the second day in Philly I wanted to tell you about? the crazy castle [yes, castle. see below] we went to, built by the eccentric tile-maker James Mercer? one of the coolest places in the States, I kid you not. the website doesn’t do it justice. well worth a day trip from Philly. no photos allowed inside, but I got a few of the exterior.

- the hair stylist convinced me to get something called a ‘keratin blowout’ done to my locks. I’m still confused to what happened.

- the ’101 best sandwich’ attempt died out [shocking!], as they were all a] more than $10 and b] beginning to not be within walking distance from my office.

- my office is in the exact area the term ’23 skidoo’ was coined. good band as well.

- I haven’t picked up my Leica once since moving to NYC. this hipstamatic stuff is brilliant.

- ah. yes. photos and NYC – that reminds me. took a shot of this the other week and made a point of going back when it was open. one of the coolest shops I’ve ever been in. worth a trip to Park Slope. am pretty sure it’s a Dave Eggers project.

- speaking of iStuff. if you have an iPad, download this. Brother Scott did the music for it and it’s been charting for weeks now on Apple.

- while I’ve always been mildly interested in the occult, reading ‘The Serpent and The Rainbow’ has elevated my curiousity in voodoo and black magic to a point of virtual hopelessness. I’m obsessed. have never seen the film, but have it downloaded for when I’m done.

- speaking of things to watch, I get about 40 minutes a week of time to do it, but Californication is one of the smartest shows ever to come out of the States. season 5 especially.

- this also looks amazing.

- NYC is a fucking fun town. has anyone ever said that before?

- Brother Ben [remember Brother Ben?] has a new project he’s working on and needs help. am hoping to interview him before the deadline, but if not, try and wrap your head around this.

- I rarely drink beer these days. if you email me, I’ll let you in on the best kept secret in the wine world. I’m buying it by the case and would love to say ‘and I’m even dropping some weight in the process’, but no. it is good, though. and cheap.

- please stop using photos of your child for your profile picture on Facebook. Brother Cohn wrote last year that ‘I’m friends with you, not your child’ and it caused a shitstorm. why? I don’t know. photos of your kids on Facebook? of course! photos of you + your kids in your Facebook profile? sure! photos of your kids as your profile photo? no. stop it. it’s weird.

- this little blog is about to have some major changes happen to it. I’m kind of excited. I hope you like it. it’s cool. and exciting… thus, the excitement.

- a copy of my book was handed to Annie Clark [St. Vincent]. I’m totally keeping an eye out for her next album to see if I’m mentioned.

- I’m turning 35 in a few weeks and change. please don’t forget.

- this is a fun town.

- see ya later.

-

Heather Rogers, at UpStart in Australia, had the amusing task of calling me late one night [read post below to get an idea of the setting] and then transcribing all of my cultural and life wisdom into an interview about the book. she might now be rethinking journalism as a career. although I hope she doesn’t.

look, we’ve all played Operationâ„¢, but how many of us have ever stopped to take a look at this poor bastard’s face? we’re too busy going for the easy Wish Bone and laughing at our sister’s inability to remove the Broken Heart to notice something about our patient here…

he’s worried.

sure, a lot of that might stem from being the most unlucky person to ever live, but I’m sure if you asked him, he’d admit to feeling really vulnerable right now. I mean – my man is naked for the entire time you, and loads of other friends, hover over him, while he sits there in his one dimensional existence, being either killed, or laughed at.

I’m kind of going through that these past few days, as it’s been the first time I’ve sent the first proof of the book to a certain few people.

namely, Josie.

see, as you can probably tell, I was anything but a good egg during my 5-year stay in China. there were a lot of drugs and a lot of girls and I was a bit of a douche and was slightly up my own ass. and that’s putting it lightly. so, I get out of Shanghai and decide to pen my memoirs [again, what dick writes his fucking memoirs at 31 years of age? seriously], but, told myself that if I was going to do it, then I was going to have to be 100% honest. and I wasn’t, for the first 3 or 4 drafts, but in the end, had to just lay it all out there and hope it made sense.

so, yes, I’m handed this first proof over to the one person I care most about – imagine that! you’re in love with someone and, as a gift, as a treat!, you give them a pretty raw account of your… ways.

now, it should be said how cool she’s been about all of this. I still want to beat up her 4th grade boyfriend simply for being a previous boyfriend. but it can’t be easy, reading all of this, so yes – send Hero Cookies to Perth. she deserves them.

but this isn’t about her – she has her own blog. this about me. [wha? an asshole - this guy?]

yes, this is about me and how scary it is putting yourself, your true self, naked… in print. not a blog, blogs can be erased, but this – this is going to be in print. chapters of my life, with my name on the front of it. Josie’s going to read it, my friends are going to read it, people I hurt are going to read it. people I hurt and didn’t know I was hurting them are going to read it. my parents are going to read [a Sharpie-edited version of] it. my nephew will someday read it.

and, lemme stop you know if you’re thinking ‘but I’m sure it ends well!’; not really. it ends. I get out and don’t die [yet - a list of possibles is already being made in case I turn up missing]. but I also don’t have a massive breakthrough and end it with apologies to everyone.

it’s scary, man. and I used to think it’d be scary if it doesn’t sell, but I’m past that. it wasn’t about selling it, it was about writing it. but, 3 years later, it’s about surviving it. cause, while some folks might admire the honesty, they’re not going to want to stick around.

‘to thine own self be true’, right Bill? easy for you to say; you aren’t on Facebook.

oh man.

just go easy with the Adam’s Apple, okay? my voice might be the only thing I have going for me after this.

[aric has visited 43 countries - 19.1% of the world]

oh man.

you want to keep me busy for hours? give me a map, some paper and a pen.

no kiddin’.

I have done this ever since I was a kid.

a few days ago, Josie made the mistake of asking me about my ‘must see’ places and I tried hard to narrow them down. I think I did a good job, but had one of those cases just like John Cusack in High Fidelity when the newspaper reporter asks him his Top Five Favorite Songs and he ends up calling her back half-a-dozen times with changes.

which means I’m gonna put them down here.

to quiet my head.

plus, with all the dead birds, snow[!] in Oklahoma and Jersey Shore getting picked up for 4th season, the Aztecs might be right about 2012, so why waste time saving money and tenure?

okay:

- 2 months in Ireland: I’ve been a number of times, but never long enough to soak it up as it should be soaked. The Queen [formerly McQueen] family hails from Country Clare, but then again, so does every American’s family.

- Northern Africa: maybe it’s cause the first time I got to first base was the first time I got to second base with [name removed] was while watching Aladdin, but there’s just something about that whole T.E. Lawrence thing [who's unpaid bar bill I got to drunkenly stare at for a large night out in Aleppo once] and the thought of Morocco, Algeria and [for every Star Wars fan] Tunisia, just excites me to no avail.

- Eastern Europe: in a campervan. in winter. yes, yes, I know – it’s cold there. I’ve been to a cold Eastern Europe before. but to think of places like Belarus, Romania, Russia, Lithuania… in the blanket of nothingness. oh man. the photos! the eerie bars. this area just doesn’t have the same feel in the summer, trust me. I’ve seen the Bone Church in both seasons and with sunshine, it just seemed silly. [read: wintertime, I shat myself - of course, that might have to do with a few of us breaking in, but that's more of a deathbed confession.]

- speaking of cold, not since Soleil Moon Frye married have I felt as much jealousy as when I saw Brother Linus’ Antartica photos. oh man.

- Cuba. yes, American’s can get in. yes, we have to be sneaky about it. yes, it’s going to turn into Miami once Fidel dies [if that's possible] and Raul takes over. and lemme tell ya, there is no worse place than Miami. except maybe Houston.

- British Columbia: I am painfully aware of the irony of ending up with a Canadian, so you can leave them chuckles out of this spiel. Tim and Robin camped through there en route to Alaska and still say it’s one of the prettiest places they’ve ever seen - Banff in particular.

- Mexico: shame things are so shit down there. Brother Joe wrote the definitive guidebook on parts of the area and ever since picking it up, I’ve been obsessed. the food! the sights! how can you not want to see Mexico?

- Belgium/Holland: been to both of them before, but last summer in London, Josie and I got talking to a few guys who had a canal boat. think about spending 3 months on one of those lazily making your way from trappist brewery to windmill.

- Easter Island.

- New Zealand: also in a campervan. Collin and Kate are there right now in a campervan and I can tell from Collin’s lack of not being online that it must be stunning.

… now, a few of those can be reached by boat, which excites me even more. I look at used boat sites almost as much as I do maps and I’m finding out that I can buy a big steel tank of a sailboat [if you've ever sailed with me, you know the reason why I need a big steel sailboat] for around $40,000, which ain’t bad, seeing how it’s more-than-live-able. and then a campervan ain’t much either.

speaking of campervans, I’m off on Saturday – flying 11,308 miles [one way] to Perth for Josie’s 29th + 1 birthday driving around Western Australia.

sound like fun? well, lemme let you in on a few secrets:

- I’m flying on a buddy pass. which means if the flights from Bend, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles have room, then I’m welcome. if not, I’m sleeping in an airport.

- but wait! it gets more interesting! since Delta doesn’t fly to Perth, I had to book a ticket from Sydney to Brisbane. and then from Brisbane to Perth. which seems simple enough except that if, for some reason, I can’t get on said flights for 3 days, then I ain’t getting to Perth.

- there’s more! Australia right now is being hammered by Cyclone Yasi. and, sure, that might not seem like a big deal to you, but take a look at some of the news reports. we’re talking complete airport closings and mass evacuations.

… so, sure, sometimes you might see the photos and think ‘my! how exciting!’ to which I’d have to agree with you.

exciting? yes.

there’s a few more words for it as well.

more from that place where the toilets flush funny.

see that?

that’s me.

I was 16 years old and on the cover of a magazine. back in the day, I used to be able to jump. some people even confused that with me being able to play basketball, but it was really just being able to jump. if you can get that close to the rim, most shots were high-percentage. I only averaged about 3 points a game, but two of those were usually something like you see here, so the cool kids at lunch let me sit with them.

jumping was my thing.

and if you’re reading this and you are in high school/middle school, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to have a thing. don’t worry too much about being cool, just be different. granted, some people can be mean and take your uniqueness as invasive, because nothing is scarier than something that can be neither explained, nor emulated by the masses.

so stick to it – it’ll get easier. later on in life, when you reconnect on Facebook, most people will say ‘oh yeah! I remember you used to __________.’ and that’s all you need, kid. do something they’re not. and if the cool kids are as smart as they are well-dressed, they’ll bring you in to their group, for fear that what you’re doing might one day catch on, and it’s a safer investment to their inner circle to go ahead and let you in, then be without your zeitgeistial premonition.

so find your thing.

and stick to your thing.

trust me.

-

the funny part of this was that it wasn’t what I sat down to write at all – I was going to talk about how I played basketball for the first time in 2 years the other night and hard it is coming to the realization that your mind now ages slower than your body.

but I guess a few things are more sore than my legs were this morning.

it’s just about 3 months before the pre-sale of the book The Book is released [St. Paddy's] and it’s time for me to start doing some recon. but before I start asking questions, I’ll answer a few – as I’ve gotten so caught up in writing it, I’ve forgotten to explain what it’s all about.

- The Book [it will have a better title... I hope] is about a number of things:

1. the main one being the 5 years I spent in Shanghai, and the final few months leading up to the Olympics when I produced the underground series ‘The Shanghai Diaries’ – an expose on what was really going on in China leading up the 2008 Olympics – and then the government coming after me, my friends, my bank account, my clients because of that.

2. because of that, I couldn’t get back into Shanghai – my home – and spent 6 months on the road, covering almost all of SE Asia, then India and Nepal [can't be viewed on Chrome for some reason]. this would be adventure enough for anyone, but my main account had been frozen by the Chinese government, resulting in me having to live on less than $15 a day.

3. it’s also a memoir/confessional of sorts – the admittance of what happens to a white male who spends too much time in Asia. add to that I was making magazine and newspaper headlines because of the shows I was producing, so was more than just a little up-my-own-ass. factor in a lot of drugs, bourbon and sex and you have a delusional half-a-decade.

… it’s dark, sad and it’s funny and it’s probably not the best travel book, but I took every writer’s advice that I know and ‘wrote a book that I would read’ – but then again, I suffer from narcissism, so of course I would read anything that I wrote.

which leads me to the little questionnaire below – because I can’t see eye-to-eye with any of the few publishers I originally started working on this with and because if I was being totally honest, I would admit to writing this for the sole purpose of making my friends laugh [and after my earlier Facebook Cull, I don't have that many... so much for brilliant marketing], so self-publishing ended up being the way to go. and it’s a funny thing, self-publishing – many authors I know cringe at the sound of it, as if it were an open admittance that their book wouldn’t sell to the public, but a little research will tell you that as long as you have a decent base of people around you that might buy it, it makes much more sense.

I have no more pride left, anyway.

long story short – if I can sell 500 copies [a failure by any other novel's standards], then I can afford to take my red boat and my redheaded girlfriend sailing for a year. which is all I want. and then I’ll write another one.

thus the need for a few polls in the coming weeks… starting with these 3:

… I appreciate it, and any other questions/suggestions you might have.

see, if this works and I can actually move a few copies, then it’s less time spent on your couch.

win-win.

it doesn’t get a lot bigger than writing for Converse.

many friends have asked me why I was so excited until they realized, ‘oh, it’s that Converse’.

yes, it is - 22 million fans on Facebook alone. that Facebook.

3 years ago, at the height of taking myself seriously, I’d have shrugged it off in all attempts to be the last word in cool. thankfully, through the love and kindness and honesty of many of you, I came to realize I was not.

so, yes. fuck yes. Converse is just now releasing the second series of stories I did for them. exclamation point.

we’ll get to the new ones later, as they’re just now being published,  but I also wanted to post the old one’s…

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Confessions of A Traveler Series – by Aric S. Queen

Why?

Aric S. Queen is not like the rest of us. And that’s a good thing. A decade of global criss-crossing has introduced Aric to far-flung corners of the world, and along the way he has met some wild people and gathered some very unique stories. In a series for Converse.com, Aric lets us in on some secrets. In part one, Aric explains why he travels in the first place… [story]

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Tyson Meade

Aric S. Queen is not like the rest of us. And that’s a good thing. A decade of global criss-crossing has introduced Aric to far-flung corners of the world, and along the way he has met some wild people and gathered some very unique stories. None more unique then running into Tyson Meade, the one-of-a-kind music legend, and saw just how much he has changed…. [story]

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Cain’s Ballroom

As with many other Chuck Taylor-wearers, Aric is a bit of a music fan, and he traces this passion back to his experiences at a venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma… [story]

-

Bauhaus

On his travels, Aric’s inspiration has been drawn from numerous sources; even though he hates talking about art, let him contradict himself, and explain why Bauhaus just might be the most important art movement for this generation… [story]

-

Flashpacking

Blending old-school travel techniques with spanking new technology, Aric explains why his backpacking is of a different breed… [story]

-

… that Converse, you see.

new ones in a week or so.

I had a rather exciting year.

and, as of last Sunday, have spent this past 12 months literally around-the-world.

if this is your first time here, I feel the need to preface this with sure, from the surface, I might come across as an adventurer, which is great – no one hates being called an adventurer… and I do love a good adventure, but if you’ll take the time to read the stories and not just look at the pictures, you’ll see how surrounded I am with very generous, very kind and very tall people who let me stand on their shoulders to see The Big Show…even if that means that they’ll miss it.

and therein lies my gold.

but yeah, 2010…

sheesh.

-

• a year ago today, I was doing a little work with the [re]think:hawaii crew out in Honolulu.
• I used the money from that to head off again, stopping home in Tulsa, OK to revisit what I missed so much about it.
• from there to Philadelphia, spending Thanksgiving with some of my favorite [and funniest!] people at The Clovis Household. it was also my first time to the Eastern State Penitentiary, a now-new favorite.
• took the gorgeous train ride up to Boston where I got to spend a few short days in the presence of my favorite writer, Adam Cohn.
• and then finishing off in NYC, with too much fun. as usually happens in NYC with good people.
• another trans-Atlantic flight back to the UK for a few days and then to Berlin for Christmas. and I cannot tell you how much at least one Christmas be spent in Berlin.
• having never been to Turkey, I went to Turkey.
• tried twice to get into Syria. and highly, highly suggest it.
• ran out of money… again. and asked for help… again. and wouldn’t you know, I made enough to get me to where I wanted to go.
• which took me to Beirut – any texture-loving photographer’s dream.
• a quick stop in Israel to see an old friend. and an old friend.
• finally got to see and experience Petra. and could have stayed a week. jaw-dropping.
• and then had a second idea of how to do what I want to do.
• made it to Egypt. didn’t really like Egypt. except for one neighborhood cafe – which made up for everything else. I would wait for a week in talks with National Geographic about my idea. but in the end, it fell through. which sucked. and so…
• I packed up for Africa. but I wasn’t ready for Africa, and had to, at the age of 33, phone Mom and beg for money to fly out, as the Embassy in Ethiopia suggested I do.
• somehow, I ended up back in England. in a gorgeous three-story house on the coast. all by myself. got drunk on St. Patty’s and used the money I had earned – money that was supposed to get me back to America – to buy a boat. spent the summer trying to convince myself I could sail, and usually failing miserably. if it hadn’t been for Nick, I’d have given up.
• got myself a nephew, and he changed my life.
• lost an old friend.
• made a new one.
• met a redheaded Canuck and fell in love.
• and then lost another friend.
• got flown to Venice to photograph a wedding.
• then spent a week in Paris with a few besties – and had the experience everyone hopes for.
• was barely allowed back into England.
• and then convinced the pretty to move with me to Vietnam. things worked out fine there, jobs were had and stability was something reoccurring, but she needed a beach and I the mountains – both of us missing friends. so she left for Australia. and I for my extended-family in Oregon. give me a few drinks and I’ll say it was nice to halt a relationship on such good terms, but then give me a few more and I’ll tell you how much it blows.
• so now I sit in the middle of Oregon – between a theatre room and a chicken coop. there’s a light snow outside and some strong coffee in. I’m a few months away from being able to print a novel – one that’ll hopefully take me back to England next spring for The Big Trip on the little red boat.

-

14 countries.

32, 168 miles.

and many more highlights that I’m sure are being forgotten.

-

it was a good year, as was the last. and the one before that.

but, as stated, if you look closely, you’ll see that I had very, very little to do with it.

jeez. that month without a computer killed me.

sorry.

do you like how I scurry back here as if you were constantly wondering where I went? amazing what having a blog does for one’s self-importance.

let’s get right down to what you’ve missed:

Saigon’s been crazy. I’ll put some photos up in a few. Josie got mugged and it still bothers me. work was easy enough to come by and, if you’re looking for a bit of a break and don’t feel handsome in the city you currently find yourself in, then hop on over to Vietnam. 30 hours a week teaching English = $2000+ a month. easy work. well, not easy work, but still… living here has been an adventure in itself, and we haven’t done much, seeing how we’d both already been here before. I picked up a handful of music-based writing gigs for the local magazine here. I’ll link to them as soon as they’re up. also – funnily enough, a few folks have mentioned being brought to my and Josie’s blog simply by searching for information on Saigon and in a week or so, I’ll post some secrets we’ve discovered. and oh yeah, we’ve been living in a hotel room. no kitchen, no dishes, takeaway for every meal, but a huge balcony where I can feed the birds, so I’m not complaining. okay, I’m complaining a little.

but things, they are a changing. as they always seem to be. more on that soon… as well. also. too.

oh yeah, it’s Movember. got my outrageous mustache in the works and in a few days [notice a theme here?], we’ll talk to the lady who’s behind the effort I want to raise awareness for. it’s for charity so no commentary on my greying facial hair, got it?

the book got some recent help from a few people – one old friend, and one new. the new plan is centered solely around getting it out before February. it’s the only thing that’s going to pay for the big sailin’ trip, so the motivation is there. writing a book, a memoir when you’re 34 though is something I’d never suggest. nothing like having to write like you did a few years back and force yourself not to correct it. kind of like people who request ‘Little Girls’ to be sung at Oingo Boingo reunion tours.

Collin, or, Tate to those who don’t know him as well as others, made us all very proud here by being the first person to launch Elle in an Asian market - only 43 people in the world have done what he has. we haven’t seen much of him, despite spending a month at his ridiculous two-catwalks-having home, but for this to be done makes it all worthwhile. be proud of him even if you don’t know him.

also, in a month or less if I’m lucky, there’ll be a few new treats for anyone who likes treats. but this is already becoming a bit self-indulgent post, so I’ll leave it there for now.

I really just wanted to say hi.

hi.

Increasingly of late, and particularly when I drink, I find my thoughts drawn into the past rather than impelled into the future. I recall drinking sherry in California and dreaming of my earlier student days in England, where I ate dalmoth and dreamed of Delhi. What is the purpose, I wonder, of all this restlessness? I sometimes seem to myself to wander around the world merely accumulating material for future nostalgias.

Vikram Seth