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Me
I was born and bred in Sarf London, England, something over 29 years ago. You could well have walked past me in my travels. If you want more visual stimulation, then you are bang out of luck, you'll have to make do with this. Well, didn't say it was me.
Work
I work as a SAP HR Consultant. This is run-of-the-mill Database stuff in essence. It pays well, and I get to fly the world in the name of my job: it has provided me with a few months in the west of Eire (Westport) a year in Montreal and nearly a year in The Netherlands, amongst others. I was in Paris for two years, and currently I am in Brussels, where I have been for over a year now, and will be here for the rest of the year. Or maybe 2005. Paris is a great city. Beats Brussels hands down. But I'm getting older and slower, so can start to appreciate the finer things in life, like having a decent Rhumerie or two around, especially if they can do a mean Caipirinha with their Cachaça. And Brussels does have some good restaurants. Yeah, I'm English and can appreciate good food, believe it and weep.
Fun
It might seem strange for me to title this section such, but my enjoyment comes from having fun, one way or another.
Music - Like most people not living in a shoebox deep in an underground cavern somewhere south of Khartoum, from a young age I was exposed to a variety of music, my parents played me a lot of Beatles and ABBA. A lot. They call it music. My earliest memories of choosing music is listening to Slade of all things on Top of the Pops, on a TV that had only four push buttons. I can remember watching the launch of Channel 4 on that. As I grew up, I get confused as to how my tastes in music evolved, as I remember not liking Human League or Depeche Mode, and not being particularly fond of The Stranglers. I remember liking Bad Manners and Madness though, and Adam Ant was a lot better than Wham. Even if I didn't understand the meaning of the songs when I was eight years old. Such an innocent child, my mother loved me.
But as I grew into my teens a few things combined to dictate my tastes for I would imagine the rest of my lifetime. I was included in a round of drinks at home from a young age, when I went out with friends at 14 or 15, it didn't amuse me for them to get drunk on a four pack of some poor (do I need to add that adjective?) Australian beer. I left them to their own devices, and instead discovered pirate radio, the illegal raves - the orbital raves - that appeared in the UK and propelled(looking for an excuse to use that word on this page somewhere) onto the dance music world scene, and acid house. I can remember listening to the charts when 'Jack Your Body' by Steve 'Silk' Hurley, and 'Beat Dis' by Bomb Da Bass got there. I'd heard Planet Rock before that, been into Grandmaster Melle Mel, Doug.E Fresh, but this is really where I wanted to grab hold of the music as it came out of the speakers.
Now, quite a few years later, I have a few thousand records (I mean vinyl), and have an addiction to buying music that I hope I will never lose. House and techno mainly because that is the music that I love the most. I mix, but as a hobby: I ain't a pretender. I played at a party in Auckland New Year 2002/3, whilst visiting. It's a great feeling to know that people love the music that you play, and I play it because I love it. I have made some music as well, but so far not satisfied that it is finished, and unless I put some real effort in, that is how it will stay. If you want to check out some of my mates' music, I'd skiddadle over to this place. Been using Reason (find it at The Propellerheads website) for a while now, and beginning to feel confident in it. Also started getting some hardware together as well, just to be different - I managed to get a Roland TB303 from E-bay not so long ago, well happy with that.
Books- I read a lot, and I try not to limit what I read. Last book I finished was one I saw mentioned on Slashdot I think as Neil Gaimen's favourite recent book, and have to say was a great read. Amongst the others that I have read recently is Smokescreen by Robert Sabbag, as I liked Snowblind.
Films- I don't see as many films as I used to (obligatory Lord of The Rings etcetera - I used to see all the notsowellknownones as well), but I do have a good collection of videos and now DVDs. Of course I would think it is good. It's my site, I get to be biased. I also have started to collect those old series that I enjoyed, despite how sad my friends think I am. A-Team, Miami Vice, New Statesman, I don't care, they're easy to watch. And of course Danger Mouse, Jamie and the Magic Torch, and I've the lot of the Monkey Series of DVDs as well. Of the films I have seen recently that I quite liked, I can't think of any that can replace these two that I have had here for a year or two, so here they are: Femme Fatale and L'Auberge Espagnole. LoTR trilogy were excellent, and way above both of these, but then that is stating the obvious innit? Mystic River weren't bad either, but didn't have the same feeling about it as I did these two.
Friends- I like my friends. I don't talk or see many of them as much as I would like, but that's the downside of my job. It can get to be a right soap opera sometimes between different circles, and I'll admit that I have been at fault now and again. But, what the hell, shout out to them all, including those not listed. Feels like I'm doing that 'Big Thanks to All Those that helped me put this album together'. Here goes: Bertie, Pipsta, The Doc, Tha Bitch, Gorgeous Georgi, Spiralx (Drugs for Britain Party!), The one and only LowriLou, Mr C., Andy 'Stan' Stakka, Da Boy (Yo Benny!), B, Si, Arfur, Anna Banana, Fliss Bliss, Mel-T, The Rock, Aimster, my sista Kris, K-J, Amber, all my family (love you guys!) ... Okay, stop. Now.
Religion - I don't have any. I don't believe in corruption, which rules out most modern religions, and think that with enough thought every person can decide what they should and shouldn't do. The presence of a higher level of intelligence is quite possible, but add all the works of all the religions together and it comes to one solution: we can never comprehend it, so why do some people insist on dictating what others should? See, knew I shouldn't have got started. But, always have time to speak to Watchtower, Adventists whatever that knock on my door, they are fascinating people. Can't quite comprehend my obstinant stance of not believing and yet have a Catholic girlfriend. Never come again though. Can't think why.
Clubs - I have been clubbing since I was sixteen or so, and have been to clubs all over the world, from London to Ibiza, from Paris to Nice, from New York to Los Angeles, from Miami to Auckland, Toronto to Montreal, you get the idea. Some are closed - Omen! Groovejet! Twilo! Dorian Gray!, but some are still flourishing - Pacha! Amnesia! Space! Heaven! Bains Douche! The Tunnel! Whatever, I've had some great times, and a special mention to the club I went to the most, Strawberry Sundae, and Conan and Grace, for giving me some great friends, some great times, and some great memories.
Travel - Well, I have been lucky to go to lots of different places. Just come back from Fiji, stopped off on the way back in South Korea, last summer went to Leticia and Bogota in Columbia (no, I was a good boy before you ask), been to Kenya a couple of times... I really like to go to unusual places, though, and don't think I have seen much at all. So much to see, so little time to do it.
What else? - Well everything really. I can spend hours in Le Louvre or Mus�ee d'Orsay here in Paris, chat about a motor and what should be done to it, go to a ballet, try to kick the arse of my mates on a console, wrap a fine philly, cut a good line, build a pretty good bench. Why limit yourself?
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