I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.
Alice in Wonderland
July 9, 2024. For the first time in my life, I am somewhat interested in politics, because France's new left anti-corporate agenda is giving me some hope. So this is a mixed session of dancing and a mini anti-capitalism ritual combined.
Don't Rush by Young T & Bugsey is a dance routine that was released last month in Just Dance 2024. I had to verify the lyrics, because there were many redacted words in the game. Most of the muted lyrics however refer to alcohol consumption which I have no issues with, but given that many children learn dancing from this game and there are virtually no other non-violent games for children, that's cool. I had to look up the words "conch" (referring to the English countryside) and "kotch" (Jamaican term for luxurious spa-like environment). All in all the lyrics composition as a whole is nothing short of genius, however I skipped the "kotch" sequence due to a rhyme I personally disagree with and would have formulated differently.
Big Bowl Thick Noodle by Kris Wu (alternative version) was released in the China edition of Just Dance and is a favorite song of mine. I verified the lyrics nonetheless and they are very positive. The song is about resolving conflicts and divisions and nurturing friendships around a nice bowl of ramen. Beautiful message. Somewhat difficult routine.
I Love Rock'nRoll felt surprisingly technical and difficult. In the past, I dismissed rockers as lazy drug-addicts, but this routine changed my mind. Now I respect them and I doubt they're addicts at all. It is really intense to do these moves, imagine doing them with an actual guitar on an actual stage. I focused mainly on hairography, lost my balance a few times, and had a wardrobe malfunction, but I really enjoyed the routine as a whole and must redo it at some point. Definitely a dance classic.
Making music for a month has made me extremely lazy and in tune with intangible things I can't explain, so it takes me an extra kick in the butt to make dance videos. The upside of making music is that my interest in non-essential material pursuits (so called bling bling) is reduced, which also helps with making more music.
May 28, 2024 No rituals this time, only dance. Here is another set of six. I am obsessed with Broadway shows and scripting of musicals, and certain video games can help a lot with the breaking down of lyrics and moves. Starting with OMG, Extreme by Arash ft. Snoop Dogg for those who have questioned my connection to the divine. This choreo is very fast and there are two acrobatic elements that I have left for another session.
Since I started working with Just Dance, a game using human dancers rather than AI avatars, I have improved my technique a lot. In the realm of dance, nothing beats a human being. With 4 instructors, it is even better, like the classic Stop Drop Roll by Ayo & Tyo.
Only 4 years ago, I was severely damaged from working in person under the jurisdiction of the horrendous Quebec Bar and couldn't go very far without a wheelchair. The pandemic was a blessing in disguise, as it allowed me to focus all my attention on my health and completely ignore the Quebec Bar, thanks to that I can now stand on my own two feet. I think this song is appropriate in this matter. (ABCDEFU by Gayle).
I really like the music and choreography in Cradles but the lyrics get creepy at moments and I just couldn't practice the part "Fire spreading all around my room. My world's so bright It's hard to breathe but that's alright". WTF, this song reminded me why I enjoy Korean songs. (Cradles by Sub Urban)
A K-Pop routine is always good for the soul. Not understanding half of the lyrics makes you interiorize moves differently than when you can attach a move to a word. It takes a little longer but it makes us dig out different expressions we didn't know were accessible. More by KDA.
Update June 22, 2024: In light of information about TikTok hosting animal abuse videos and winning a section 230 defense to continue hosting said videos, I am withdrawing my opposition to a ban and my support for this platform and I have taken down my dance video Coolest Ethnic. I will continue dancing to Chinese songs, but without attaching any support for platforms that knowingly host criminal content. I will petition and encourage everyone I work with to take down their Youtube channels as well because Youtube also knowingly hosts such content.
April 8, 2024. Happy Year of the Dragon Eclipse.
All clips shot last week except Titi Me Pregunto from last December. Just Dance routines in order from first to last: Bebe by Divine Brown; Can't Touch This by MC Hammer; Surfing Bird by The Trashmen; Chicken Payback by Band of Gees; Iko Iko by Mardi Gras; Titi Me Pregunto by Bad Bunny.
...jazz everywhere, booze everywhere, life everywhere...
Jacked on mojitos in the Caicos, we improvised Nowadays, Chicago on the beach. Shot last February. Real estate in the Islands is extremely competitive compared to Canada and taxes are a non-thing, which explains why there are so many expats. I want to buy half an acre and build a house there. It feels like discovering new land and developing everything from scratch, you even get to build your own roads.
November 24, 2023. This is some of the footage I filmed shortly before I damaged my camera. I had just bonded with this camera and already I must part with it for likely months in the hope of it being repaired. According to Japanese philosophy, everything has a soul, including inanimate objects (i.e. my camera), that's why we should treat our things with respect and it is normal to bond with them and feel devastated when they're not ok. I don't have the definition of a "soul", so I'm not going to elaborate on artificial intelligence today, but one thing to keep in mind is that a soul doesn't equate consciousness, so the camera is not sentient. I hope that clarifies it.
It was a beautiful early Sunday morning, snowing like a fairy tale with temperature around zero, cold enough for the snow to stay fluffy and stick to trees and branches, warm enough to prevent the lake water from freezing. The forest near Wendake had this enchanted otherworldly feel, so I stayed a little longer than I should've. Barely feeling my fingers I changed memory cards and kept filming, but didn't take in account that these weather conditions were maybe a tad too hostile for the mechanics of the camera and I must have bent a pin in the memory card compartment.
I'm glad I could retrieve the footage with an external card reader because I wouldn't have been able to reshoot the same day. By 10am the snow had disappeared or turned into slush and the light degraded into a greyish metallic feel. Weather conditions change minute to minute these days and so does the light.
I am simultaneously working on a short film based in Prague, Czechia where I am planning to move at the first opportunity (Toronto didn't work out due to the housing crisis). Prague is a very special city that takes itself seriously. Did I mention super-inspiring too. The language is easy to pick up, which helps with feeling right at home. The cost of living is very similar to Montreal, still reasonable and significantly more accessible and livable than New York City and Toronto. Technically I'm still a European by birth, so I may actually get my EU Digital Wallet sooner than later. Indeed Christmas is coming soon and overseas flights have never been cheaper. At this particular moment in time, it costs less to hang out in Prague than in Toronto or Niagara Falls. Here is my trailer for Christmas in Prague.
