click opera - The Huma Family, a goat, and a perverted hamster called Hamsapham

December 2009


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	Thu, May. 17th, 2007 07:04 am

The Huma Family, a goat, and a perverted hamster called Hamsapham

Click Opera has been pretty light this week -- and will continue to be over the next few days. I was in Scotland, then had a couple of days back in Berlin to write my next Wired column (connecting Apple's Get a Mac ads to Norman Mailer's essay The White Negro) and welcome Alin Huma to the city. Alin, his wife Chie and son Meta, are exchanging flats with Hisae and me for the next three weeks; their place in Ginza for ours in Berlin.

Although Alin and I bonded online during the Neomarxisme "culture wars" -- and I'm quite blown away by his photography, blog and pdf publications; I'm shamelessly hustling to get him published by Die Gestalten -- we'd never met before in person. He's charming, a blend of East European and Australian. He and Chie are completely in thrall to their cherubic son Meta, who has very strong ideas about how things should be done and tends to get his way.

We spent a delightful day at the Smart Deli in Friedrichshain and the Children's Zoo in Gorlitzer Park, where we headbutted goats. A useful skill for any troll to master, I'm sure you'll agree (although Marxy's readers don't seem to accept his view that disagreement with his lofty gloom automatically constitutes trollery).

Hisae and I will arrive in Tokyo on Saturday. Over the next two weekends there are shows featuring Lullatone and Gutevolk at Tokyo Midtown. Can't wait!

Oh, and here's a lovely video someone called Alan Philbin made for my song "Hang Low" (Ocky Milk) featuring "a perverted Cantonese hamster called Hamsapham". I like everything except the moment the 747 crashes into Mount Fuji -- bit of a nervous flyer, you see. Anyway, must get packing; make sure the tray tables are stowed, and see you in Tokyo!

(no subject) -

obelia

Oliver Jellyfish Twist

	Thu, May. 17th, 2007 11:34 am (UTC)

thats what i was thinking too!
Meta has really lovely hair

womanonfire

Auriea.

	Thu, May. 17th, 2007 07:43 am (UTC)

*safe journey*
can't wait to read of your adventures!
(and do tell us about the Lullatone show)

fishwithissues

jordan fish

	Thu, May. 17th, 2007 11:42 am (UTC)

Gosh, that is a superrrr video! Have fun!

m1a9366b

	Thu, May. 17th, 2007 12:01 pm (UTC)

Gutevolk

Isn't Gutevolk playing Tokyo Midtown on *Saturday* afternoon/evening?

imomus

	Thu, May. 17th, 2007 12:28 pm (UTC)

Re: Gutevolk

Yeah, I just looked at the Noble site (or at least a cache of it -- the site itself seems to be down) then spoke to Shawn from Lullatone, who originally told me about the Sunday show. Shawn says to trust the Noble site rather than him!

It seems that Gutevolk will play Tokyo Midtown at 3pm on Saturday. Then Lullatone will play Tokyo Midtown on Sunday at between 1 and 2pm. So they're two separate events.

merrow_sea

	Thu, May. 17th, 2007 03:15 pm (UTC)

Thanks for the video link. Great way to start my day. Hang Low is one of my favorite *attitude adjustment* songs. Happy travels in Japan...

If you find a moment, check out this excellent excerpt from Al Gore's new book; democracy and the one-way corporate messaging of television vs. the two-way conversation available on the internet:

http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1622015,00.html

imomus

	Thu, May. 17th, 2007 03:18 pm (UTC)

Re: Gutevolk

Oh, okay, I got another mail from Shawn Lullatone, and it now appears that he isn't playing in Tokyo this weekend at all!

"I got confused about one thing. Gutevolk is playing 5/19 not the Saturday before us (we are playing some other show with her soon so I mixed up the two). We are playing 5/27 at midtown in Tokyo."

So that's Saturday 19th for the Gutevolk show at Midtown, and Sunday 27th for the Lullatone show at Midtown.

lullashawn

	Thu, May. 17th, 2007 03:16 pm (UTC)

Lullatone and Gutevolk shows

Nick,

Sorry I didn't make sense earlier. Yoshimi and I went to too many izakayas tonight. Gutevolk is playing this Saturday (5/19) and we are playing next Sunday (5/27) with her producer, Kazukasa Hashimoto (I got confused).

And when we talked by the mobile phone we were in the karaoke then, so after that we tried to sing the song you wrote (but we couldn't do it well). I better practice before we meet in Tokyo!

bye,
Shawn

imomus

	Thu, May. 17th, 2007 03:19 pm (UTC)

Re: Lullatone and Gutevolk shows

Ah, thanks, I think we're all on the same page now!

See you when you get to Tokyo!

(Anonymous)

	Thu, May. 17th, 2007 04:13 pm (UTC)

It's Adam Philbin.

Glad you like it though. I think Hang Low's a lovely song.

-Me :)

lord_whimsy

whimsy

	Fri, May. 18th, 2007 01:24 am (UTC)

Well done, Adam.

rodebrecht
Robert

	Fri, May. 18th, 2007 10:23 am (UTC)

Lovely video!

Robert

mooshstache

	Thu, May. 17th, 2007 04:32 pm (UTC)

ham ham sap sap

i totally know what ham sap means! salty wet ham! you are a clever one.

pay_option07

	Thu, May. 17th, 2007 04:46 pm (UTC)

east to west or vica versa

I was told it is easier to fly west than east to avoid travel related maladies. Is this true Nic?

Would like to see more Vienna photos Alin! Great!

imomus

	Thu, May. 17th, 2007 04:49 pm (UTC)

Re: east to west or vica versa

I was told it is easier to fly west than east to avoid travel related maladies. Is this true Nic?

Well, it takes a couple of hours less time to fly east, so I prefer that bit. How you cope, jet-lag-wise, is more personal and subjective, depending on how you feel about your destination (I'm usually refreshed and energized by Japan) and how much melatonin you take or bright light you expose yourself to.

(Anonymous)

	Fri, May. 18th, 2007 08:55 pm (UTC)

That's a charming video Mr. Philbin, very much compliments 'Hang Low'.
Enjoy your trip, Nick.
Thomas.