Sixes and Sevens

Caio, bella

In the beautiful city of venice, it is difficult to find anything to worry about. This is my second day in the city and I already feel like I am at home. The city is an intricate network of winding alleyways, canals and squares, filled with the aromas of fresh baking, cigarettes and leather. 

It is so bizarre because it is most certainly a city, yet it has all the characteristics of a small village. Dogs are always unleashed and free to roam around and people greet each other with a double kiss. The venetian skies live up to their reputation; absolutely stunning.

Tonight we are off to florence, then siena and we end up in roma. The venice hostel is this highly eclectic mix of people and the background music is always the product of one of the many temporary resident hipsters. I love it.

Arrivederci!

Jackson - nancy sinatra and lee hazlewood

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnkuRQ8tjIE

When I’m small - phantogram (rac remix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QktG5p-F_mc

You’re like a sunset

Here I sit with mountains of work to do and no motive for action. Typical scene.

But I mean really, anytime I sit around here and do nothing I kick myself for being in europe and abusing the privilege. And for this reason, I am going to france this weekend (despite assignments, essays and midterms). 

Who can judge though - you know you would too.

I have it. The travel bug. But the sad part it, it bites when you are dirt poor (or it renders you as such) and it becomes quite a paradoxical situation where you never want to stop moving but moving requires money you do not have. Hopefully bank of mom and dad will subsidize my adventures as we go forward.

We have of course had 3 beautiful days in leeds and I am trapped inside all day like some quarantined patient. It blows. So france is more of a necessity than anything…if you ask me.

As horrendous as immunology and human geography can possibly be when co-administered, I have music to get me through. Hopefully it does for you what it does for me.

Au revoir!

Frank ocean - swim good (thanks kik)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZHztmRxpyU

Phoenix - love like a sunset p. 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5Lh9uyx1Zw

Wake up, you’re getting high on your own supply

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same.

-Rudyard kipling, “if”

http://www.kipling.org.uk/poems_if.htm

To my readers (in what dwindling numbers you are):

Apologies for how long this has taken to update. Much has happened, such as the increase in actual school work in a highly concentrated two week period. Who would have thought that uk schools actually make people do work?

Anyways, london was an awesome experience. So different than new york but a marvel of a city nonetheless. The term here is posh for the southerners (I discovered it on the back of a door to a toilet stall where someone angrily wrote, ‘fuck you, posh southern bitches’ - he wasn’t mincing words, I suppose.)

I went way over budget there but in a city where a burger is $12 CAD (for just the burger), it is quite easy to spend more than intended. 

Some changes to my April plans have occurred; instead of portugal and spain, an exercise in poorly-planned traveling, we are going to serbia/croatia and germany. I can’t wait - I have really been pining to go to germany and in april it should be fairly nice. As for serbia, a friend has told me the best beaches are in serbia and montenegro so that will be very nice for april - especially at 17 euro a night for a villa!

I met a lot of people going on the trip to africa last night - all very nice people. Made me look forward to it even more!

Here are some songs I have been liking recently (thanks to iva for showing me phantogram) and hopefully you’ll enjoy them as much as I have.

Cheers x

Royksopp - what else is there

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLpkXtM-VI8

Phantogram - mouthful of diamonds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvSgLHWR16o

Macklemore x ryan lewis - vipassana

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lJ3fgNc86M

But dont look back in anger, i heard them say

‘Tis bitter cold. And I am sick at heart.

- Hamlet (1.1.10)

It has finally arrived - the day of reckoning. I woke up feverish and delerious; the aftermath of binge drinking for too long I suppose. 

There is always a light at the end of the tunnel though and mine is london on friday. Thus, I am perma-doped up on neocitron and advil (though I don’t know if this is a smart mix, it seems to work). If I can recommend one thing, it is vitamin d. It has (as I swear it) kept this cold at bay for over a month. It is the miracle vitamin if taken in a consistent regimen (but what about me is really consistent?). 

Today I was supposed to visit my human rights law class ‘tutor’ (no, not professor) and speak with her about this supposed 100% essay coming in may. The classes have mainly been bland bantering of charters and treaties and optional ratifications with very few arguments, if any at all. Too bad I feel like I’m dying so that’s getting put off for now.

Should be interesting nonetheless when I slap it together 72 hours prior to the due date.

Friday at 2 pm I leave leeds and am meeting up with a friend of a friend with the forementioned friend (hereby referred to as friend 1) in hand. The friend of a friend (hereby referred to as friend 2) has a hotel in london for her reading week and we are taking london by storm. Should be a great time, although all this talk of dominican republic from canadian friends is really chipping away at me…Oh well, I guess I can take solace in the fact that I get a month plus of vacation time in april.

Suckers.

Explore these tunages and stay hooked in for updates from london. Safe journeys friends who are departing for your short-lived dominican retreats.

xx Harrison

Chelsworth - little red

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC99EhXX6jw

Little river - tallest man on earth

http://hypem.com/#!/item/14x2f/The+Tallest+Man+on+Earth+-+Little+River

For withered friends - daedelus 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1Y2u5fM-OQ&feature=related3

Cali’ trippin’ - shwayze & cisco

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hOFaDEr7GA&feature=related

Still can’t say she won’t start up a fight

Hello hello!

So last night was crystal castles and it was madness. I can’t explain it other than it was the first show I have been to where a girl sucker punched a guy for pushing her and he threatened her back. The leeds bunch are so forgiving. 

Tomorrow is the official canadian welcoming party in block d of my residence. Yes, we are separated into blocks. Yes, it is reminiscent of soviet russia. 

Life is good here but I’m starting to feel some guilt over how little work I do here. It is very much a culture of last minute preparations and that is what I had to train myself out of this year. Essentially, I am just reinforcing bad habits…

But most importantly, expanding my horizons. 

I’ll leave you with spoon who always seems to hit me with the right words for any situation I’m in.

x

Spoon - written in reverse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYWlg9iHHlY

The road ahead

It has been a busy couple of days fellow readers so I apologize for the gap (except there is usually a gap of that length but I promise; I’m trying to improve). 

For those of you who do not know by now, I am officially booked in for uganda in july! It is a very exciting prospect and I am thrilled at the opportunity to be able to help out in what I see as such a meaningful way. I would encourage you to visit my justgiving page and even if you cannot support financially, support of any kind is appreciated. 

https://www.justgiving.com/Harrison-Brown

I also booked italy for april where I will be flying in to venice on the 2nd and beginning my europe travels. We are starting in italy, moving through to greece, followed by spain and ending up in portugal. It is incredibly exciting but financially daunting. Oh well, I have pretty well accepted that I will be in the poor house all of next year. Not much I can do now.

School has begun to feel a bit more like school in the sense that I have my footing and I know (vaguely) what is expected of me. The readings are equally awful as in canada but for some reason, they do not seem that way when I go at them. Maybe it is the change of scenery. 

Last night was my flatmate’s birthday party, installment 1, and we ended up at evolution again amongst the hedonistic youth and the snake charmers. Always a memorable night beside from the alcohol-induced haze that lines my memories.

I’ll leave you with a bit of old and a bit of new. Cheers and godspeed for the week ahead. 

x

Work drugs - third wave

http://blog.azltron.com/feel-the-third-wave-by-work-drugs

Metric - don’t think twice, it’s alright (cover)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDwt2-3Saws&feature=related

Vampire weekend - cousins

http://guiltfreepleasure.blogspot.com/2011/01/best-albums-of-2010.html

I’m from barcelona - get in line

http://www.indiehearts.com/news/im-from-barcelona-presenta-nuevo-tema-y-anuncia-su-tercer-lp/

Thirsty Thursdays

No, not like the fish bowl drinking events - quite literally, it has been a thirsty kind of day. £5 bottles of vodka only feel good at point of purchase - take it from me.

Last night I went to a club called gatecrasher and this would have been the second time I’d have attended the club. Keyword(s): would have. 

We had a great pre and everyone was nice and sauced up, but of course by the time I got to the bar, I ended up being the last person in. We weren’t really feeling the line that had assembled as general admission so of course, off to vip we went. The bouncer was not really pleased.

Long story short, it was a lot like a night spent in london during my first year of uni - quite an exercise in frustration. 

The best part was the morning after. I woke up this morning, foggy-eyed and dry mouthed to a fire drill. Good morning, hangover!

Tomorrow is my flatmate’s birthday and we are having a big party in my anti-social residence. I’m sure the walls will be shaking for days which will perhaps entice some of the silverfish-like residents to emerge from hiding. It is absolutely bizarre for a first year set up but hey, who am I to judge. 

Enjoy these little ditties (I have been for the past couple of days) and stay tuned for more.

Over and out.

Tv on the radio - wolf like me

http://www.mediafire.com/?4mett4k1ltu

Ben l’oncle - 7 nation army (soul cover)

http://aurgasm.us/2010/09/ben-loncle-soul/

The black keys - everlasting light (mummers remix)

http://www.mp3hugger.com/2011/02/the-black-keys-everlasting-light-mummers-remix/

All you need is love

“The Beatles saved the world from boredom”

If ever in Liverpool, I highly recommend the Beatles’ Story museum. I spent the day in Liverpool yesterday and soaked up a bit of the culture, but the most memorable part by far was that particular attraction. 

It is quite amazing that 4 boys from meager beginnings ended up being the most (dare I say it) prolific figures in rock & roll history, if not, several decades worth of the rock & roll era. Last night I spent the night in (for the first time in a while) and just chilled with the flatmates. I am finally finding some sort of equilibrium here and it is very reassuring.

School has become this daunting task that impedes all of my whims (i.e. pick up and go to amsterdam this weekend) but I am not taking it nearly as seriously as I did in first semester. My classes are great (especially the first year one which is counting for a third year credit at home) but the learning curve is very different. Take for example the law course I am in where I am the only non-law student in the class. And the final evaluation is a 3,000 word essay worth 100%.

Shit, eh?

Anyways, I’m cozying up to that prof and seeing what sort of stuff is essential - let’s be honest, this term is on a need-to-know basis. 

For my fellow canadians who are soon to hit midterms (or visa versa) I have some inspiration in the form of songs. I hope you all make it through with flying colours, but if not, scrape by like me and don’t look back.

Cheers x

The beatles - golden slumbers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ghs0ZjrsFk&feature=fvsr

Aimee mann & michael penn - two of us (i am sam soundtrack)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBgVJMuSh-I&feature=related

Adele - hometown glory (chewy chocolate cookies remix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHp1kR7hr7Y

Professor green - monster (camo & crooked remix)

http://www.earmilk.com/2010/09/21/professor-green-%E2%80%93-monster-feat-example-camo-krooked-remix/

BONUS

My sister showed this to me a while ago - really didn’t care for it until I gave it a third or fourth chance…give it a listen or four and see what you think. If it makes any difference, she’s dating andy samberg 

Joanna newsom - good intentions paving co.

http://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2011/01/03/our-favorite-albums-of-2010-part-2/

P.S. the rest of the music on this site is really great too - great overview of some of the year’s best