New Moon On Monday!

Look what I just ordered!

( Clickity click! )

And, no, it's not Slim Shady! XDDDDDD

IT'S ME!!!

HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, WORLD!

I've been a bad BAD LJer and friend, because I actually came back to Rosario last Sunday, but I've been too lazy to post anything. XDDDD

I'm back full force now - back at work, back studying, back at pretty much everything. But that doesn't mean I'm back in reality, because I certainly ain't! This trip to Buenos Aires was one of the best things that ever happened to me, not only because I really managed to disconnect myself from my usual routine (we had no schedules, nothing was predetermined), but also because sharing nine days of my life with four awesome people like Rory, Ryo, Nadia and Catu has been a really changing experience. I can't believe how much I've learned apart from all that we enjoyed the time we spent together.

If things go well, I'll be back in Buenos Aires in March/April! We've ravaged lots of stores and bought as many Duran Duran things as possible, BUT I WANT MORE! XD SO BEWARE, BUENOS AIRES! XDDD

I'll try to catch up with your latest entries one step at a time, but I just wanted to say HI! WE'VE ALL BEEN MISSED!

Lots of love,

-V

Remember I promised some proper posting a while ago?

( Well, wait no more! )

...BECAUSE I'M SEEING DURAN DURAN LIVE IN MAR DEL PLATA IN TWO WEEKS AND I'M NOT PANICKING YET!

It kinda hit me last night, because as I was trying to fall asleep the radio aired "What Happens Tomorrow", a song I hadn't heard in AGES. And that's when I thought "WAIT, AT THIS TIME IN TWO WEEKS I'M GONNA BE HEARING THIS SONG LIVE!" WOOT!

Anyway, I guess I'm having a hard time actually realizing how big this is (all of you who know me from a way back know I had a time when I was a HUGE fan) mostly because my love for DD had come to a historic low. So it's not like I was expecting this concert or anything like it. I even had my doubts about going at first, but now I know it's gonna be such a great pick-up for me. Finally the whole Local Duranie group is gonna meet for this concert - roryfitzgerald, danysanders, catunia and nadiamdq - and that's enough of a reason to make this an UNFORGETTABLE weekend. :D

Oh, and by the way, we don't know anything for certain yet, but, drbillbongo, we've heard MIRANDA! is gonna play in this concert too! :-O Will keep you posted! :D

Anyway, off to get the dust off my DD records and ROCK them once again! (I really need to relearn all the lyrics, mind you...)

CHEERIOS!

-V

No, I'm not dead. :) I'm just on a very even mood, and I don't really feel like posting when I'm feeling even, for the sole reason that posting about feeling even isn't really exciting, isn't it?

Anyway, I'm good. :) School is practically over for the year (I have one annoying class left, but the big ones are all over). I'm happy with my grades, which makes it a good year. I probably won't see my Phil teacher ever again, which makes it a normal year. So much for my dream of friending offbeat people. I shouldn't complain, I have actually made some good friends this year (that includes you, except the ones I've known before, for obvious reasons), so it's still a good year.

Work is great. It's been quite a scare, but I'm doing great. Just in case the whole business of getting my first job wasn't enough, I ended up working in the same office my Mom worked in for years. (My Mom passed away in 1998, for those of you who didn't know.) I'm even working with lots of people who worked with my mother. It's a funny feeling. But I'm enjoying it immensely. I'm actually somehow rebuilding something of my Mom's history through everything I hear about her in the office. It's amazing how fondly everybody remembers her. Everybody. People who I didn't even know actually come find me to tell me "I worked with your Mom for several years, and she was a great woman, so it's really nice to hear you're here now." There's a picture of my Mom in the office. And I keep hearing anecdotes about her. Great anecdotes. My boss was my mother's boss. And sometimes people tell me I look like her, or I have gestures like hers.
It's a very moving experience, but in a very good way. It actually tells me I'm coping very well with losing my Mom. And hearing so many people saying great things about her is helping me rebuild her story.

I took 2 months off from therapy. I'm seriously fed up with it. I could have stopped for good, but I negotiated this 2-month break with my shrink, even if she wasn't really thrilled about the idea. I seriously needed it, though. I don't want to be therapy-dependent. And for the first time in a long time, I feel rather sure of myself. I feel I'm on track, in control. I'm calm. So, why not give it a go, see what it's like to be shrink-less? I still have some pending issues with her, but I don't know if I want to discuss them with her. I feel we're on different pages regarding certain subjects. Right now she wants me to delve on the subject of my feminity. Well, it's been a recurring subject, but now it's become our main topic to discuss. I don't think we agree. I may not be the most feminine being in the world, but I'm happy like this. This is something I don't want to change. I feel it's 100% me. It's the kind of thing that defines me.
I don't know if I'm coming back to therapy after these 2 months. It's been too long. But, at the same time, my shrink made it perfectly clear I'm not done with my treatment and I don't want to leave it unfinished. I am more severely fucked up than I thought. XD Who knows, we'll see how I feel after these 2 months.

I got an itch to listen to Duran Duran right now. It's almost 4 in the morning, so I think I'll leave it for tomorrow, but I haven't had an urge to listen to Duran in ages. I like to see it's coming back. :)

Enough... I don't have anything interesting to say, and I've run out of boring topics to discuss. Therefore, ta!

Cheers,

-V

Today was a good day. :)
I'll probably start freaking out in no time, since I have a thousand things to study (2 upcoming mid-terms + those exams for work) and I'm in a wild procrastinating mood, but right now I'm feeling calm.
I had to run some errands today, so I spent the entire morning outside. Went to the post office to send a letter to one of my penpals, searched around for a postcard for him while I was getting to the post office, and I also got myself a beautiful custom-made notebook for a very special purpose - I'm going to start a scrapbook. :) Basically, it's a travel scrapbook. I haven't traveled extensively yet, but I do have one or two anecdotes about a couple of trips I've done. I've went to Buenos Aires three times already on my own to meet different people, and now roryfitzgerald, nadiamdq, danysanders, catunia and yours truly are planning a big Duranie get-together (the Secret Oktober Convention) in Mar del Plata next October. That's going to give me plenty of material to write about, I'd say. :P
The main idea is to add photos, comments, and any sort of memento I can get from any trip I might do. :) For now, I'll start with my escapades to BA (which are quite interesting per se), but I dream of having a bunch of scrapbooks someday, written in several different languages, with a million comments, memories, impressions and pictures. Since I'm interested in learning several more languages, I dream of writing about each trip in the native language of the country I've visited - v.g., when I visit Germany, I'll write the entire experience in my scrapbook in German. The same with Italy, France, Sweden... Well, you get it. Those scrapbooks will probably go to my nephews when I'm gone... And, well, they'll just have to learn the languages if they want to read them. :P

But, changing subjects abruptly, this was a good day, not just because of my scrapbook, but rather due to the general good mood people seemed to be in. I went to a thousand stores, and everybody greeted me with a smile. And those who weren't smiling, well, they eventually ended up doing it. Like the employee I had to talk to in the post office... She seemed kinda down, and suddenly I mentioned something about me liking the taste of the glue that comes with the envelopes, and she just laughed. :P "You're the only one who likes that glue," she said. And then we continued talking about a project for flavored glue... And, well, she kept smiling. I felt good about it. :P
I also stoped to chat with a guy on the street. He's HIV positive, unemployed, and gives away brochures about AIDS and it's prevention on the streets in exchange for a couple of dimes. I remember seeing another guy doing the same thing, but this time I didn't find him. I always stop to talk to people who are HIV positive and are working on the streets. He pretty much told me his whole story - he's HIV positive (non-symptomatic) and so are his wife and his 6- year-old son. His kid is actually a symptomatic patient, very prone to pneumonia. Spent 20 days in the hospital until last Tuesday due to it.
I don't know, there's something about people with AIDS that touches me. I don't know any close friends or relatives who are HIV-positive, but the disease just strikes me. Anyway, I stopped and chatted with this guy, took a brochure and gave him 2 bucks. Whoever he is, may God bless him.

That was pretty much my day...
Dinner's ready and my father's being a pest, so I should get going...
Be ready for my whole story about the BA adventure tomorrow. :P I'm also considering doing a little picspam... I owe you a picspam.
We'll see. :)

Cheers, and take care,

V

I got back from Buenos Aires a couple of hours ago. :)
I'm exhausted, which means that I can only think about going to bed now, but I promise I'll be writing a detailed account of the whole adventure in the next few days. :)
What I can say right now is that this has been one of the best days in my life. :) Thanks to everyone who made it possible. :)

Cheers,

V

What Piece of LotR Jewelry Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Beautiful, don't you think? :P

Well... Not much going on...
Studying, and I'm a psycho as usual...
Oh, I do have an AMAZING crush on Nick Rhodes... :P So much that I've started writing a little PWP about him. :) Hopefully it'll be ready soon for your reading enjoyment. :)

Oh, and by the way, I wanna thank meetmyheart IMMENSELY for the BEAUTIFUL Nicholas icon she's made me! :D

So, I should be writing my fic, or reading Virginia Woolf, or reading a book about Atlantis that started today, or studying Ancient Greek history for college...

But no. :)

I was looking for some pics for nadiamdq, and I decided to do a picspam to celebrate Nick Rhodes and John Taylor. :)

My old Duranie self is back. :P

( A personal homage to Nick Rhodes' smile... )

( ...a *SQUIRT* for 27-year-old John Taylor... )

( ...a *YAY* for both of them... )

( ...and a little extra something. :) )

You Have a Melancholic Temperament

Introspective and reflective, you think about everything and anything. You are a soft-hearted daydreamer. You long for your ideal life. You love silence and solitude. Everyday life is usually too chaotic for you. Given enough time alone, it's easy for you to find inner peace. You tend to be spiritual, having found your own meaning of life. Wise and patient, you can help people through difficult times. At your worst, you brood and sulk. Your negative thoughts can trap you. You are reserved and withdrawn. This makes it hard to connect to others. You tend to over think small things, making decisions difficult.

I'm taking some time out, peeps. I haven't been in a very bright mood lately, so I might as well give this thing a break until I sort out my mind, instead of overwhelming everybody with dark posts.
I hope you're all doing great, and I'll make sure to let you all know once I'm back. :)

Leb wohl!

I remember, somwehere back mid-year, we started nurturing the dream of having Duran Duran in Argentina, remember? There was some statement by John Taylor saying they'll be in South America sometime this year, and the havoc broke loose.
nadiamdq and I started saving money just in case DD would really, really come.
Thing is, sometime around August, we read a postcard from Roger on DD.com and found that the band had plans for taking a break, start writing new songs and then give a few final concerts in December in England. So, Nadi and I realized they wouldn't be coming to South America. I even wrote Katy a question, and she answered that there would be no more tour dates added to the ones that were already announced.
So... I spent my money. What was I to do? I bought The Wedding Album, Decade, Seven And The Ragged Tiger. I bought two books I need for college.

Problem is...
Not even a month ago, the whole Personal Fest thing was announced, with Duran Duran as one of the main acts. They announced the whole thing in early November, then started selling the tickets around a week later. 28 days before the concert.
Problem is, tickets are expensive as hell. It's actually understandable, because there are quite a few international artists, so the whole festival is quite a big thing.
But what I don't understand is why they announce the whole thing a month before the event takes place. That's stupid.

Think about me, or Nadi:
We have to pay for the entrance, plus the ride to Buenos Aires, plus a place to stay in, plus food, plus any other unexpected expense you may have.
You can't save the money for all that in a week.
Any serious organizer would have announced the event perhaps two months prior, so that you would save the money and, when the tickets got on sale, you would spend quite a few bucks to get good places. But I can't do that if they announce the whole shit a month before, and get the tickets on sale a week after the announcement, 28 days before the event. That's just not serious.

So, we're not going.

:-/

It sucks, but we really don't think it's worth it.
I really don't want to get cheap tickets (which are still expensive) and not be able to see anything in the show. I really don't wanna pay for a whole trip to BA if I won't be able to see the guys really close.

I don't know, it's just a personal decision. I believe that, if you're gonna do something, you better do it right.

I found the website of the guys who are organizing the whole Personal Fest. Right now the site in down, because they're rebuilding it, but as soon as it's up again, I'm gonna mail them and give them a piece of my mind.
I would have spend a shitload of money to see Duran Duran. I really would have. But I need time to save up the money. Otherwise, it just won't happen.

So, yeah, I forget about this thing for a month and then I come back and post 3 times a day. I'm such a psycho.

THIS IS WORTH READING, TRUST ME!

God, I would so love to be John Taylor's best friend. Not a date, dates get dumped. Friends are better. Maybe a privileged friend? "Do you remember that night, John, when I was a little blue, and you were a little homesick and, oh, um... *wink wink*?" Hehehehehehe... :P

It's 8 in the morning, I have HOUSEWORK to do... That is, cleaning bathrooms, making beds... CAN YOU IMAGINE ME DOING THAT? I'm so useless. DORK.

I want John Taylor. Hum. I would hug him, and smack him, and get on the NYC subway with him. Maybe we could sing in some subway station together to get a couple of dimes. Hehehehe. I'd make him laugh, I'm sure. :)

Well, enough.
Take a look at this thing I've stolen shamelessly from some kind of DD forum. Enjoy!

( John Taylor interview... )

So... This has been a bad weekend. Lousy weekend.

(Note to self: I've been having too many of these lately. Must do something about it.)

I took a nap from 5 to 8.30 PM. I had a weird dream that cheered me up.
I dreamed that I asked Orlando and John for an autograph. :) The whole thing went something like this:
During an afternoon, I went to a friend's house, a friend I know in real life but whom I haven't seen in ages. I found her at her house, but I also found that she was moving out, after having family issues. Two other women were helping her, and I stayed to help her too.
By the evening, I left her, because I had something of a tour downtown (?) to catch. I went with this bunch of people, but only got along with two of them - Angie, my highschool friend, and another friend I had during my childhood and adolescence whom I know hate with all of my strength.
When we got downtown, we found that Orlando was shooting a scene for Kingdom of Heaven (?), and that, somewhere nearby, John Taylor was getting married to Reneé (!!!!!!!!!!).
I told Angie about it, and ran to John's wedding. I couldn't see a single thing (the whole place was packed), so I came back to the square were we were all supposed to meet when the tour was over. As I was walking, I watched John and Reneé leaving the church, and walking behind me also towards the square. I lost them afterwards.
Right there at the square, I told about John and Orlando to a girl who had gone on this tour with me. (I don't know who she was, although she resembled a girl I know from college.) As we were talking we watched Orlando walk through the square (he was wearing a turquoise robe, WTF??). This girl and I decided to wait for Orlando and John to come back, so maybe we could as them for their autographs!
John was the first to come back. ALONE. Picture Feelings Are Good John, but with lots of leather and the weirdest belt with lots of silver eagles and applications. (WTF for the tenth time!). I asked him for his autograph and he agreed. He was ubber cool. :)
He gave me quite a long signature, actually... First he wrote a really lousy joke, and then he added "It's the afterglow, baby... THE AFTERGLOW!" ROFL! And then he wrote me a whole paragraph about the quote I had on the shirt I was wearing. It said "Pure Innocence" (DON'T LAUGH, ALRIGHT?? LOL). He said that there was a song by No Doubt called exactly like that, and that it wasn't one of their best works, that I should try some of their latest albums... Weird. WEIRD. WEIRD! He finally signed with some hilarious line (not your tipical "Love", but I can't remember exactly what) and then "John Taylor". :)
Soon afterwards, Orlando came back to the square. This girl and I stopped him, and he signed us a cap. (?) He just left his signature, twice, while he asked us where we had gotten the cap. :P Then he left. :)
Last thing I remember is going back home on the tour bus. And how the girl I was with stole the autograph Orlando had signed for me! LOL
But that was it, mainly.
nadiamdq says I'm still in love with Orlando, LOL :) I don't know why he showed up in my dream. But John... God, he was hilarious. :)

And just in case that wasn't enough to cheer me up, I got up from my "nap" and I found an email with this:

( More JT... )

IT'S A FUCKING DREAM COME TRUE!

DURAN DURAN IS COMING TO ARGENTINA!

This is from today's Clarín newspaper:



(Thanks roryfitzgerald for the scan! :D)

IT'S TRUE!
IT'S OFFICIAL!
THEY. ARE. COMING!

I AM HYPERVENTILATING!
I CAN'T BREATHE!

I'M GONNA SEE JOHN TAYLOR!
LIVE AND DIRECT!
WITH HIS DELIGHTFUL SHIRTS AND JEANS!

OH MY GOD...

*scream - squeal - moan - grunt - yell*