Tsunami

Everyone's probably seen the footage and heard the news about the earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean /SE Asia region. Here's how one can help:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Quake-Aid.html

I guess one of the byproducts of travelling earlier this year is that the news becomes more intimate. These are people and places you've visited not too long ago, infact, had it occurred a mere 2 months earlier, I could have been there, amongst those devastated.

Some related blogs (haven't found stuff closer to the SE Asia side yet):
http://tsunamihelp.blogspot.com/
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/001806.html

Best of 2004

Happy Holidays!

Films:
Eternation Sunshine of Your Spotless Mind
Motorcycle Diaries
The Dreamers
Before Sunset
2046
Hero
Fog of War

Albums:
Max Richter - The Blue Notebooks
Kings of Convenience - Riot On a Quiet Street
Ulrich Schnauss - A Strangely Isolated Place
Lali Puna - Faking the Books
n.ln - Astronomy for Children
Pan American - Quiet City
Zero 7 - When it Falls
Alburn Lull - Cast from the platform
Mus - Divina Lluz
Bebel Gilberto - Bebel Gilberto
Abida Parveen - Faiz by Abida

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Sorry haven't been writing much... (just got a bad case of the flu). Thanks to everyone still reading this who made 2004 a memorable year.

December skies

Its almost the end of the year. I've been staying in a lot - recovering from a cold and taking cover from the grey skies and rain here.

Watched "Motorcycle Diaries" today, which I really enjoyed. It made me think about some of the small transformations I underwent after travelling for a while. I wondered whether I should go back to work soon or pursue something new and impractical/idealistic altogether. It also made me realise how muted some of my idealism has become with age.

Wednesday, I hung out with Michael, with whom I worked with in Vietnam who is also back in the New York area. It also happened to be an anniversery for John Lennon's assasination. We stopped by the little memorial in Central Park near the Dakota apartment building. People were gathered around, singing Lennon and Beatles tunes. In the inner circle, a few people played bass, and strummed along on guitars. I saw what looked like older New Yorkers who were likely hippies during the 60's and 70's. New York needs more hippies. A policeman stood by to watch under a floodlight that was provided for the gathering. A Japanese newsman spoke into the glare of a camera for the fans back home.

Speaking of Vietnam, the first direct service from San Francisco to Saigon commenced this week. A part of me wished I was on that plane.