Gummi bears. Supreme couch-lock. Everything is heavy. Arms. Eyelids. Darkness.
Friday 28 April 2017
Tuesday 18 April 2017
Unlikely Bucket list item: Coachella
In December, Phoebe suggests to Brian "We should go to Coachella". Brian says "Yes, let's do it". Brian relays the following to Derek "Hey, we're going to Coachella, you should come". Derek replies "Let me think about it". In January, Phoebe tells Derek "Hey, we're going to Coachella, and we have space in the apartment, you should come". Derek responds "Oh yeah, Brian mentioned this. Let me think about it". In February, it's 3 am in the morning and Robert adds Derek to a WhatsApp group chat called "Coachello 2027 first week". The name of the event is wrong, so is the year. Derek is intrigued and immediately books flights to Los Angeles.
Coachella, the music festival associated with faux Bohemian, dessert palms trees and the Ferris wheel has not been on my radar of things to do. However, the performance line up, the minimal time off work and the group of people traveling was enough to convince me that this would be the best way to spend my Easter. The only problem was, I didn't have Coachella tickets, which was the least of my concerns, these things usually work themselves out.
I had exhausted all options on the secondary market (Gumtree, Craigslist, etc) and was resigned to the last resort of Viagogo; with an expected premium of 2x the retail price. That was until, I found a third use for dating apps, e-Commerce. A dormant match roused into a non-sequitur, non-contiguous thread that folded between broccoli sprouts and apple cider vinegar and eventually availability of Coachella tickets. We exchanged details and through friends the transaction was finalised. All the while, I wondered if this was an elaborate ploy to scam unsuspecting victims out of their hard earned cash in exchange for the promise of hard-to-acquire goods and services. My fears were allayed when the wristbands beeped with confirmation as I passed through the gates of Coachella 2017. Aside from actually finding a life partner, and/or getting laid this was the next best use for swiping right.
So how was it? Well, mixed feelings. The performances were excellent, Kendrick, Gaga, The Fugees, Drake, Empire of the Sun all amazing. The downside was the crowds and inter-stage navigation. It was an absolute nightmare getting in, out and around the venue especially when there's another 90,000 people trying to do the same. From vehicle drop off to the main stage, it took around 40 minutes, including a long walk, multiple security checks and an ID check. The glaring smear on the event was the 3 hour UBER line on the first night. We ended up rushing the car park as the new "UBER ID" system had failed and reduced us to a Hunger Games situation where there was no longer any rules.
I think what really made me sour was the fact that I lost my phone on the first evening. Which kind of put me in a bad mood, particularly because I was planning to meet up with friends who were also at the festival from Sydney and Hong Kong. Anyway, I'm over it!
It was not all doom and gloom - It was so good being at a legitimate music festival. For me, most of the fun happened outside, with the road trip from LAX to Palm Springs. Eating our way through the classics: Inn-and-Out, McDonalds, Burger King, IHOP. Foraging for groceries at Stater Bros, trying to find medical marijuana and spending hours trying to cultivate the perfect Coachella outfit. Would I go again? Maybe, if the right line-up presented itself.
Currently reading: "The Magic of Thinking Big"
Coachella, the music festival associated with faux Bohemian, dessert palms trees and the Ferris wheel has not been on my radar of things to do. However, the performance line up, the minimal time off work and the group of people traveling was enough to convince me that this would be the best way to spend my Easter. The only problem was, I didn't have Coachella tickets, which was the least of my concerns, these things usually work themselves out.
I had exhausted all options on the secondary market (Gumtree, Craigslist, etc) and was resigned to the last resort of Viagogo; with an expected premium of 2x the retail price. That was until, I found a third use for dating apps, e-Commerce. A dormant match roused into a non-sequitur, non-contiguous thread that folded between broccoli sprouts and apple cider vinegar and eventually availability of Coachella tickets. We exchanged details and through friends the transaction was finalised. All the while, I wondered if this was an elaborate ploy to scam unsuspecting victims out of their hard earned cash in exchange for the promise of hard-to-acquire goods and services. My fears were allayed when the wristbands beeped with confirmation as I passed through the gates of Coachella 2017. Aside from actually finding a life partner, and/or getting laid this was the next best use for swiping right.
So how was it? Well, mixed feelings. The performances were excellent, Kendrick, Gaga, The Fugees, Drake, Empire of the Sun all amazing. The downside was the crowds and inter-stage navigation. It was an absolute nightmare getting in, out and around the venue especially when there's another 90,000 people trying to do the same. From vehicle drop off to the main stage, it took around 40 minutes, including a long walk, multiple security checks and an ID check. The glaring smear on the event was the 3 hour UBER line on the first night. We ended up rushing the car park as the new "UBER ID" system had failed and reduced us to a Hunger Games situation where there was no longer any rules.
I think what really made me sour was the fact that I lost my phone on the first evening. Which kind of put me in a bad mood, particularly because I was planning to meet up with friends who were also at the festival from Sydney and Hong Kong. Anyway, I'm over it!
It was not all doom and gloom - It was so good being at a legitimate music festival. For me, most of the fun happened outside, with the road trip from LAX to Palm Springs. Eating our way through the classics: Inn-and-Out, McDonalds, Burger King, IHOP. Foraging for groceries at Stater Bros, trying to find medical marijuana and spending hours trying to cultivate the perfect Coachella outfit. Would I go again? Maybe, if the right line-up presented itself.
Currently reading: "The Magic of Thinking Big"
Monday 3 April 2017
Taiwan: Spring Scream #3
I return from Spring Scream, for the third time. It is with a heavy heart that I declare this to be my last and final trip to Kenting for the event. Over the years you have provided me with euphoric, youth and exuberance that has genuinely made being a raging alcoholic worth every moment of existence. However, it's time to hand the baton over to the younger generation, those with more resolve and sturdier serotonin warehouse (see: http://www.sciencealert.com/music-festival-sees-spike-in-mdma-pollution-in-river).
So what brings me back? A buck's party for one of the Hong Kong Originals. Taiwan had to be done. Spring Scream had to be done. And we did it. As with most Spring Screams, the weather was cold, the beach festival had us rugged up in long sleeves and cowering for shelter as we nonchalantly sipped on our Bear Beer. The crowds were thinner this year, perhaps a combination of the inclement weather (it was cold and raining the entire weekend) and the fact that there was a huge music festival the following week.
Majority of the crew landed in Taipei the night before and braved the train ride from Taipei to Kaohsiung. I was one of the fortunate that arrived fresh on Saturday morning and checked into Smokey Joe's, our usual abode for the weekend. That freshness would be long gone by Monday. The weekend, was everything we expected and signed up for.
Except for the debilitating come down that following week. We returned to Hong Kong Monday morning, feeling fresh. 7 km run, followed by a dinner with a friend followed by death. I imagine this is what happens if you were to come off heroin, or to be faced with some life threatening malady. The inability to stomach food, compounded with fevers and headache was agony. Most frustratingly was the physiological rejection of sleep. Five out of the ten participants on the trip had developed these symptoms. I was one of the five.
Collectively, we took sick leave and willed on the sleep only to drift in and out of REM. We concocted a cocktail of herbal teas, tart cherry extracts and melatonin supplements but the sleep never came. Some of us, so concerned had taken the liberty to see their local physician only to be told that all their vitals "Looked OK" and that they "just needed rest". Four days later, I'm sleeping again. What a trip.
Currently reading: "Tools of Titans"
Majority of the crew landed in Taipei the night before and braved the train ride from Taipei to Kaohsiung. I was one of the fortunate that arrived fresh on Saturday morning and checked into Smokey Joe's, our usual abode for the weekend. That freshness would be long gone by Monday. The weekend, was everything we expected and signed up for.
Except for the debilitating come down that following week. We returned to Hong Kong Monday morning, feeling fresh. 7 km run, followed by a dinner with a friend followed by death. I imagine this is what happens if you were to come off heroin, or to be faced with some life threatening malady. The inability to stomach food, compounded with fevers and headache was agony. Most frustratingly was the physiological rejection of sleep. Five out of the ten participants on the trip had developed these symptoms. I was one of the five.
Collectively, we took sick leave and willed on the sleep only to drift in and out of REM. We concocted a cocktail of herbal teas, tart cherry extracts and melatonin supplements but the sleep never came. Some of us, so concerned had taken the liberty to see their local physician only to be told that all their vitals "Looked OK" and that they "just needed rest". Four days later, I'm sleeping again. What a trip.
Currently reading: "Tools of Titans"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)