far too much writing, far too many photos

runswithscissors


Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Last night: while talking with friends during a new year's phone call, I mentioned my boredom with the whole new year's eve thing. More than boredom: dislike. And it's true, it feels like a big non-event to me, an arbitrary designation used as a pretext for a whole lot of noisy, trashy, shitfaced partying. (I won't even go into New Year's Eve television -- zzzzzzzzzzzz....)

On the other hand: it's also an excuse to call old (and new) friends. I like that. It's also the reason for some pretty creative first night celebrations. I like that concept just fine. And it's used as an excuse to have dinner gatherings. I love that. Not to mention that how anyone else chooses to spend it is none of my biz.

(Note to self: making an effort to move past knee-jerk reactions? It's a good thing.)

I opted out of New Year's Eve hooha this year, stayed home, got quiet. While the rest of the local world was out in the street carrying on like banshees in heat. Laughter, shouting, glass breaking, firecrackers. Until way into the wee hours. I cobbled together a pretty decent night's sleep despite it all, stumbled out the next morning shortly after 11 into cold, nearly-deserted streets and a neighborhood in which nothing was open. Nothing. Even the ticket booth in the Metro was dark, a sign directing all passing humans to use nearby machines for passes. I walked sidewalks sprinkled with confetti and stray spangles/sequins, breathing in cold air, passing the occasional individual or couple out seeking somewhere warm to get food/caffeine, expressions dispirited. Also, a handful of individuals who had apparently been out all night, looking like they'd been run over by a tank but apparently not feeling it yet.

By the time I returned home, more people were about -- all wandering, talking quietly. All looking in vain for nowhere to go. This may be the first time I've seen an entire zone of a city center totally, completely shut down. Kind of impressive, in a strange, slightly desolate way. (There's a scene in the great Spanish film Abre Los Ojos (Open Your Eyes -- U.S. remake: Vanilla Sky -- in which Eduardo Noriega runs down Gran Vía, the big east-west avenue that cuts through the center of Madrid. It's morning and the city center is empty -- no people, no vehicles, no movement apart from the one figure running down the street. Given how busy the center normally is 24 hours a day, some have pondered what they had to do to get that shot. I suspect they simply filmed it after the city had been out partying all night.)

[continued in next entry]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Along la Calle de Barquillo, Madrid, the last weekend of 2007:




España, te quiero.

rws 8:11 AM [+]

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BLATHERINGS

August 2001
September 2001
October 2001
November 2001
December 2001
January 2002
February 2002
March 2002
April 2002
May 2002
June 2002
July 2002
August 2002
September 2002
October 2002
November 2002
December 2002
January 2003
February 2003
March 2003
April 2003
May 2003
June 2003
July 2003
August 2003
September 2003
October 2003
November 2003
December 2003
January 2004
February 2004
March 2004
April 2004
May 2004
June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
October 2004
November 2004
December 2004
January 2005
February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
June 2009
July 2009

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .


MORE FOCUSED BLATHERINGS


Travels:
London '01
Pamplona
Italy '03
U.K. '03
Sevilla
Casablanca
Stoke-on-Trent
Barcelona
Québec/Ottawa
Boston/Lisbon/Madrid
Italy '04
Montréal
La Sierra

Events:
Madrid -- arrival
9/11
Emergency Room I
Holidays 2001
Holidays 2002
Holidays 2003
Holidays 2004
Holidays 2005
A neighbor's passing
Madrid -- March 11 bombings
  and aftermath
Emergency Room II
Israeli friend/Madrid Marathon
Madrid -- Royal Wedding
The DELE exam

GONE, a novel:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10

THE BASTARD CHILDREN OF
JOE ROCCO, a novella:
-- Part 1
-- Part 2
-- Part 3

BURBANK SHRUGGED,
a screenplay:
-- Part 1
-- Part 2
-- Part 3
-- Part 4

Short stories:
Murphy's Wife
Another Autumn
La Queja de Una
  Hermanastra Muy Conocida

Autobiography
-- Personal History
-- Hormones On Parade
-- Accidents, Random Mishaps,
    Personal Problems

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .


OTHER SOURCES OF WHOLESOME ENTERTAINMENT

People/Weblogs:
dooce
foxvox
fudge it
fear not
rebekka
bookslut
802online
idle words
madhaiku
wockerjabby
grow-a-brain
rebel market
letting me be
out and about
kung fu grippe
fanatical apathy
baghdad burning
wfuv's music blog
kexp's music blog
mimi smartypants
between the miles
just a hippie gypsy
the impossible cool
tomato can brushes
vermont homestead
sugar mountain farm

Good Clean Fun:
gizmodo
futurismic
postsecret
dave barry
human clock
mcsweeney's
spaceweather
book-a-minute
internet archive
self-portrait day
my cat hates you
out of context quotes
surrealist compliment
  generator
strindberg and helium

Makin' Musical Whoopee:
last fm
stereo8
pandora
soma fm

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .


ABOUT RWS/CONTACT





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