As you can see by the accidental last post I'm on the move around Asia. My blog for that is separate - StefanSpies.blogspot.com
As an experiment I've been listening to my iPod throughout this trip in a sequential order. Figuring it would be too difficult to chose the perfect album to match my mood every time (without new music coming my way) I thought this would give me an opportunity to revisit albums of old, rekindle love for some, and discover some gems in my collection that slipped through the cracks. Therefore my music collection (38+ days worth if played straight) is coming at me one album at a time - alphabetical order, by album title.
Well beginning in Toronto with A-Sides a Soundgarden best-of, I've worked my way past the self-titled Alexisonfire, Radiohead's Amnesiac, Aquemini by Outkast and many more before arriving at the catchy, yet pretty Awoo, by the Hidden Cameras to close out the A's.
Both Wolf Parade albums passed me by and I still love Apologies to the Queen Mary and though not as good At Mount Zoomer is decent too. Speaking of double albums - Rock Plaza Central also made a first album (that I heard anyway) that I love in Are We Not Horses whereas the follow-up ..at the Moment of Our Most needing or if only they could turn around, they would know they weren't alone is decent too. (I think they shortened that title, thank goodness but my ipod still has it as such)
Found a gem in Lily Allen's Alright Still especially the cover of the Kaiser Chief's Oh My God.
Thought I would want to skip through the very first one, Soundgarden, but ended up finding more than a couple tracks that I enjoyed more than i anticipated.
Other greats were Ashtray Rock (Joel Plaskett), the classic August and Everything After (Counting Crows), Arular (MIA), driving into the majestic country of Hampi to ..And the Ever Expanding Universe (Most Serene Republic) was fitting.
A runner for my top 10 2009 has got to be Maybe Smith's - Another Murder in the Morning. Hectic as it is if you can get into it the album pays off.
All in all A's were a big letter - nearly 50 albums listened to in full already! What with the "A somethings.." and the "All the hits" and the "...and the somethings" it was stacked and I expect to move through letters faster now so updates will be more often.
Now onto the B's! Starting with Weezer's B-side collection. See how that goes and I'll let you know in a letter.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Alpha Ipod
Thursday, October 01, 2009
It Starts in Mumbai!
Well it's true what they say - no matter how much reading and preparation you do, you can never fully prepare for the real thing. My flight from Vancouver to India took a stop in Hong Kong and Bangkok and all told from lift-off Vancouver, to touch-down Mumbai it was exactly 24 hours journey. However it wasn't as bad as it sounds as I got lots of rest, read and watched some movies/TV, and was fairly comfortable scoring an emergency aisle each time (ah, legroom).
Arriving at 3am local customs and baggage were reasonably smooth and I'd hired a taxi into Colaba, a fairly well-traveled area of Mumbai. The Sassoon dock, promised to be a hub of fisherman activity turned out to be a sketchy spot in the pre-dawn so I was taken for a ride (both literally and figuratively) by my driver to the Gateway of India, only 500m away. Here I waited in front of the Taj Hotel (not the actual Taj) as the day lightened, getting some friendly tips from a German couple. There were many other 'friendly' Indians offering to find me a room and eventually I did get one though not until I'd stepped over sleeping people, and gone up super-sketchy lifts 5 floors while checking out OTHER hotels.
Once that was settled away I regrouped at the Gateway and took the Lonely Planet (thank goodness for Lonely Planet!) walking tour through the old British Fort area to the main train station. There are dogs, sleeping people, tiny cats with big heads, and yes - cows - all over the streets. Mostly I just cruised around on my own, feeling comfortable (at least when the sun is up) in any situation, while still exercising caution and sticking to somewhat busy thoroughfares. Saw the Mint, the Bank of India Reserve (btw don't try to take a picture of this, and if you do pull your camera out, then at least take the picture so you can delete it when the security guard forces you to!), and the University of Mumbai. Best of all there are huge parks in the heart of the city that overlook old English buildings, such as the Court House - a bustling place where security isn't all that good and I managed to climb to the 4th floor rooftop overlooking the complex.
At an Applied Art School I met a friendly fellow and swung a cricket bat - though the actual game fell through. Later on a couple young guys bought me a Chai tea (this tea is so sweet I actually like it!) before they tried to hustle me into buying a male Indian-dress before I caught on to the ruse.
Been an eventful day and a half.. my train was to leave at 7 this morning but has been delayed til 11. Almost that time now so I'd better go catch it!
