Coke. Keyboard. Blog.

Writing about the Trip and Updates

2009-07-29T05:22:00.003+08:00

Well, I finished two parts of what is to be an epic 20-part story to Greece and back. Half-fiction, half-reality. Then I realized I don't have much time to write a part every day (it takes me about 2 hours per entry plus brainstorming and forming a story). So I'm gonna take a break, write about other things and occasionally release another part. It's easier to write about more recent things, so that's what I'll be doing.

Quick update:
- I've finally set a date when I'll be arriving in England: September 17.
- I highly recommend reading "The Rum Diary" by Hunter S. Thompson.
- I want to get a Doctor's degree in the future. Hopefully before I'm 30.
- I went to see the new Harry Potter movie. Cinematography was amazing, and as a standalone movie it was great, but overall it was just average. Probably as good as the Harry Potter series can get.
- Cherry cider is pretty good but as far as alcohol is concerned, beer is the way to go.
- Pizza Americana is one of the greatest pizza restaurats in the world. It's in Tallinn and you can order by calling 1337.

That's it for now. Check back for more stuff in the future.

Trip to Greece: Dawning Closer to the Heart of Darkness (Part 2)

2009-07-22T20:35:00.009+08:00

Love strikes at unexpected times and I'm at the Latvian airport having coffee with one of the cutest girls I've seen in months. We met about 5 minutes ago. I think about how time is a funny thing...

23 minutes and 39 seconds ago...

My plane just landed and the masses are squeezing out of the tube with all their luggage. As I wait for my turn to make a run for it, I realize it's such an orderly chaos. You'd think it was D-Day, people lining up before the door, the strange silence, quiet shuffle and witty comments before the door is opened and everyone, one by one, jump out of the darn thing about to face some unknown enemy the press has described as the biggest monster the free world has faced.
The flight itself was pretty boring. For most of it, I read the magazine I brought with me, but when I got another idea and realized I'd put away my backpack with my notebooks in the locker, I started scribbling on the sick bag (I was fortunate to have kept the black pen I used before in my pocket). The person next to me looked at me with curiosity, which distracted me to no end. Suddenly I sneezed, then took advantage of the situation, looked up at her, gave her an encouraging smile and told her that the swine flu is no laughing matter. She became uneasy and decided to take a short nap, allowing me to finish my writing in peace.
As I walk out of the gate, I think of ways I could waste time before my flight onward. Not being the shopping type, I decide I'll start my stay by getting rid of the coffee I drank before and replacing it with a new one and so I set out to find a bathroom.
The first one is a couple of steps away, but there's one hell of a queue. I readjust my goal to "find a bathroom without a long queue" and continue walking down the long road. 30 meters later, I find one that's got a more manageable queue and I take the title as last. Until another man arrives, takes it from me, and then returns it to me as he hurries off. As I'm standing right in front of the door, a girl approaches me and asks me if there's someone inside.
"No, I just enjoy standing in front of bathrooms. I find the view quite nice, don't you?"
She realizes it was quite the silly question and stands next to me a little ashamed. She's a brunette, long, beautiful hair, according to my estimation, some Asian blood in her, 18-20, and eyes to kill for. The guy who used to be last until I kicked him off his throne exits the bathroom and I gesture inside.
"After you."
She lightens up.
"Thanks."
As I wait longer, the guy who just left returns. He probably forgot something. You don't return here unless you forgot something.
The girls exits and immediately the guy asks me if he can go in for a second and get his sunglasses. "Yeah, go ahead."
The girl thanks me again and starts walking off.
"Hey, how about coffee or something?"
She stops, thinks for a moment and then says "Sure."
"Great, I'll be right back."
I make room for more coffee and wash my hands.
I get together with her again, and we walk off to some random airport cafe. We sit down and I think about how time is a funny thing - you manage to finish a thought and it's already become part of the past. We drink, we talk. She tells me her name is Elisabeth.
"Oh, I know one of those. She lives in Spain."
As if that wasn't enough of a coincidence, she tells me that's where she's heading; Jerez de la Frontera to meet up with a couple of friends and then drive to some beach in Cadiz. When she explains her plans in further detail, I feel like immediately just buying a ticket to Spain instead. A sense of desperation - I'd do anything to go with her, meet her friends, go party at the beach, perhaps a romantic evening alone...Ah, snap out of it! I start telling her about my plans, exaggerating a few minor details to sound more impressive. We then move on to talk about future plans. She's not sure whether she wants to become a lawyer or fashion designer. I tell her my usual advice - do what you like - and then explain how I want to do writing and potentially try journalism. Minutes add up to an hour and soon a voice announces that Elisabeth's plane is boarding. She quickly gathers her things, thanks me for the coffee, and runs off. It takes me a moment to realize that she never gave me her contact information. Was it me or did she just forget? I will never find out. I walk to my gate, sit down, scribble down a couple of notes in my notebook and then read my magazine.
28 minutes later, there's an announcement and people line up to board the plane. I keep on reading, waiting for the line to get shorter before I hop in. It never seems to get shorter, so I just join the crowd. As I wait, I notice that the two people in front of me are athletes. And they...They're from Mexico? MEXICO! Oh damn it. Didn't the reports say that the first cases of swine flu were from there? Deaths, even. Oh, fuck. It's over. I knew that my swine flu joking would catch up with me eventually. I'm dead. We're all dead. I should have stayed home!

Trip to Greece: Journey Into The Heart of Darkness (Part 1)

2009-07-22T00:35:00.004+08:00

I wake up at 5 in the morning, brush my teeth, and prepare to embark upon a journey on epic proportions. My suitcase packed, I check my backpack. Two notebooks, a magazine, plane ticket, passport, 4 black pens, and all kinds of assorted candies and souvenirs meant to be given as gifts. Nothing illegal - I make sure of that. Leave behind all matches, knives, and liquids. Push comes to shove, plenty of chances to stab someone with that metal knife they give on the plane, I think.
Satisfied with the contents of the backpack, I take one last look around the room, get keys off the table and exit the building. The cab I called last night is waiting for me patiently. I throw the suitcase in the trunk, get in, and tell the guy to take me to the airport.
"See the game last night?" he asks me.
"Sorry?"
"The football game."
"No."
"Ah, shame. ______ (some random name I forgot) scored quite a goal. The ball bounced off the post and closely missed the goalie. You follow any other sports?"
"Afraid I don't, sorry."
"Ah."
The rest of the ride passes in silence. I try to block out the awkwardness by staring outside the window and think my own thoughts. 23 minutes later, I'm at the entrance of the airport, about 120EEK poorer. I check in, get rid of my luggage, and go to a nearby cafe for the purpose of eating breakfast and wasting a couple of extra minutes.
"Good morning."
"Hey. Can I get a Coke and one of those ham sandwiches over there?"
"Of course."
She gets the sandwich and then approaches the coffee machine, making some of the blackest, darkest coffee I've ever seen.
"That'll be 75."
"Uhh...yeah. I...This doesn't look like Coke," I tell her, pointing at the coffee. "Unless you boil it."
She looks surprised and ashamed at the same time. "Oh my god, I'm sorry. It's early in the morning and I guess I confused you with the guy that came before you. He ordered coffee."
"It's ok. I'll just have this. Need to wake up anyway. Thanks."
I pay the woman and start eating my sandwich, drinking my coffee. Greece. After 2 years, I'm going back. It's kind of surreal, but most of all, it's exciting. Has the place changed? Have the people changed? How am I going to spend my week there? I sit there in silence for a while, then get out my little brown notebook and scribble down a couple of notes on potential future TV series. I scratch my non-existent beard for a moment, then check the time, finish my coffee, and move towards the security check.

Morning and Afternoon Adventures

2009-07-20T04:01:00.003+08:00

I wake up not remembering the dream I had during the night, but that's completely unimportant as I have the urge to take a major leak. I get up, pull on some pants and walk out of my room to discover a light in the bathroom and the sound of my father showering. Having only one bathroom in an apartment of four is no laughing matter, especially when the summer is hot and everyone is drinking like camels preparing to embark upon a long journey.
Keep it in. Just distract your mind. No, just barge into the bathroom and do the deed that needs doing. But that would be awkward. I begin pacing around the room. Come on. Zen. You're better than that. Distract your mind. Goddamn, the water running in the shower isn't helping. Fuck zen! No. Horrible thought. I take it back. We really need more bathrooms. What time is it anyway? I walk over to a nearby table and check the time on the cellphone. Around 9:30. Quite an early start. Not bad. I really gotta pee. I pace back and forth for a couple of more seconds and my father exits the bathroom. I storm past him and the next couple of seconds are pure heaven.
The rest of the morning doesn't consist of much. I don't eat breakfast as usual, and instead dwell in the virtual realm, talking to whomever I fancy. At this moment, Joycelin, a good friend of mine who informs me that she has started her own personal blog (http://astoldbyjoycelin.blogspot.com). I immediately become a follower and being the first one, she promises to award me next time she sees me (and I intent to collect - who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth?). Updates from my part involve finally finishing organizing my iTunes song after weeks of hard work. Time flies and I have to take leave to see an old friend - Karl (one of the few lads who have known me since 1st grade).
We go downstairs and find our car in front of the house. I sit in the back, but before even opening the door, I discover a hand print on the window. Who could have done that? Upon further inspection, I conclude that someone from INSIDE the car did it (I mean, if it smudges when you rub the inside side, then it's got to be inside, right?). My mom notices the hand print too.
"I'll see if there's some paper in the trunk." And she disappears.
Paper? What's she gonna need that for? I didn't bring my pen. Does she have it? What does she have to write down all of a sudden. Paper in the TRUNK?!
Suddenly the door next to me opens. What the fuck? Here I am, seatbelt on and everything. Why would someone open the door when there's a dude already occupying and blocking the way? Is someone going to pull me out of the car? Hijack it? Wait. They couldn't do that. Seatbelt. Plus, you don't hijack a car from the back seat. Necessary technology in front. What else could it be? Bats! I knew it, goddamn it. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was right. Shouldn't have stopped here - it's bat country!
It's my mom, armed with a paper towel, furiously wiping away the hand print. I calm down.
Could have been much worse.
On the way, the radio plays "Wind of Change" by The Scorpions. It triggers something in my head, but I forget what. A moment of clarity? Or perhaps a moment of amplified madness? It wouldn't matter, as in a couple of minutes, we would arrive and I would calm down for the rest of the day. But for how much longer? Only time will tell...

A Story for Claire (Draft 1)

2009-07-13T02:52:00.001+08:00

Something I wrote based on the words "Damn", "Desk", "Miscellaneous", "Player", "Sun". I haven't really had the time to look over the entire thing in much detail, so consider this to be something of a first draft. Hope you enjoy it.

Dick Player grew up hating everyone, especially his parents. Who in their right mind would name their child Dick Player and expect anyone to ever take him seriously? And so his tragic life went.

Dick Player. Age 5. Kids in kindergarten tend to laugh at anything that sounds remotely dirty and that they don’t completely understand. “Dick” is one of those words. He laughed along with the other kids, trying to feel included but truth is that sometimes he went home crying. His parents didn’t make a big deal about it. They told him that kids grow out of it; that they will one day realize how cruel they are and stop. Dick wondered why he wasn’t mean to anyone. “Because you’re special, dear,” his mom would tell him.

Today, he sits behind a desk on the 40th floor of his company. He replies to yet another e-mail by some military figurehead discussing the sale of weapons while at the same time thinking what complete bullshit it is – he would never get a reply anyway.

Dick Player. Age 12. The kids never grew out of the meanness. If anything, they only got smarter. And they discovered his last name. Cue an array of dick and sex and masturbation jokes. He wouldn’t laugh with them anymore and they in turn pushed him away from any group activities. Because of this, Dick concentrated on his studies. All subjects interested him anyway – he has always displayed a keen interest in how things worked. He was the top in his class, but he was deprived from a social life. No, not deprived – pushed away from one. And this depressed him. His parents filed it under “growing pains.”

Today, he opens a document containing a series of co-ordinates. He starts punching them into a system. A couple of minutes in, he calls his secretary and asks her to bring him some coffee. It’s a long list and he expects it to take a couple of hours.

Dick Player. Age 18. He has long accepted that he’s different from everyone else. Superior, he would sometimes think. Graduated top of the class – a position he maintained throughout his 12 years of studies. The last couple of years he didn’t even have to try. While those who attempted to catch up with him studied hard, he went to the gym. By now he was in peak physical condition. He also started making offensive, yet witty, remarks back at other people. They never laughed (just called him a “freak”). Neither did he.

Today, he has entered everything that need entering in the computer. He stares at the screen, double-checking all the numbers, and then thinks about things in general. About how he has everything everyone else wished for – money and power. About how it wasn’t too difficult – nothing ever was for him. All you needed was the smarts and some imagination and he had plenty of both. He is one button press away from being done with years of work. It’s an odd feeling and he hesitates for a moment, perhaps relishes it. He presses enter.

Dick Player. Age 25. He graduated from college just like he graduated from high school – top of the class. People didn’t tease him as much anymore. They were finally growing up. He read Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and started figuring out the true nature of man. He took a keen interest in conflicts around the world and started criticizing all forms government. When that wasn’t enough, he criticized society. He also offered possible solutions. Very few listened to him and took him seriously. Others were either too self-centered or stupid to realize what he was saying. He was eventually fired from the small company he was working at due to “views harmful to and not according with company policy.”

Today, he gets up from behind his desk and walks outside of his office. He sends his secretary home early, returns to the office, puts on some music, and breaks out a bottle of fine Australian wine. He has cause to celebrate. Years of abuse, hard work, and miscellaneous tasks have led to this very moment.

Dick Player. Age 34. People don’t say anything about his name anymore – they just think about it for a second when they meet him. He has started his own company which sells and develops weapons to militaries around the world. He realizes it’s contradictory to his goals and visions, but deems it as a temporary and necessary step towards common good. He launches the first anti-missile satellite into space and celebrates by giving everyone a bonus.

Today, he looks outside of the huge window in his office. He tastes the excellent wine. The sun is setting and complete darkness engulfs the city. Beethoven’s 5th is playing in the background. Everything seems to be in complete harmony in a world gone mad and then stars in the distance begin falling down. They land and destroy all the military bases, war zones, and large cities around the world. Millions dead, bodies mangled on the streets or whatever remain of the streets, cities in flames, utter chaos. But Dick Player expected it; he had planned it for years, all possible outcomes and reactions and responses to those reactions. Vengeance against the world is sweet, but not meaningless – he expects that through the flames and chaos, a more united world will be born.

Future, he would announce that his company would stop producing weapons and would focus its attention on rebuilding the world. There is no more war anywhere – everyone fighting is dead. He would do his best to pass on his messages of peace and co-existence, claiming that whatever happened is a sign for mankind to come together and start over. He would become a famous, likeable public figure and would eventually run for president or something. And for years there would be no conflict anywhere on the planet, but like with all moments, they pass and are replaced with new ones. Dick Player dies. He never feels the love of a woman or knows companionship. He devotes his entire life trying to strive towards utopia. The future is uncertain.

Nobody would know the true story of Dick Player, the man who destroyed half of the world.

THE END

Updates Since China Blocked Blogspot Until I Returned to Estonia

2009-07-11T05:39:00.005+08:00

I can finally write another update. It's just my usual luck - discover the wonders of blogging and soon after China decides to block the darn website. But now that I'm back in Estonia, my blogging days are taking a turn for the better :)

First off, there was prom.

It was pretty awesome. But not as awesome as...

GRADUATION!
Which happens to mark the day another chapter in my life started and the night I started drinking (alright, that chapter thing sounded pretty lame, but it's true). The last couple of weeks I spent with me mates can only be described as "epic". Thank you for everything and keep in touch!

Turned 19. I can still drive, buy alcohol and tobacco, vote, have sex, go to the army.

Went to Greece, met up with some people, ate gyros almost every day. Also gained some new insight into this-that. I think I might start sort of a "Quote of the Week" thing. Or whenever someone says something that just blows me away. Anyway, to start off, words of wisdom from my Greek friend, Spiros Vagelatos:
"The guy who invented the wheel sold it for a hooker."

Which sort of complements Nick Watkins' quote from a couple of weeks ago:
"You can't trust a guy with his pants down."

On the superhero front...

Spider-Man was fired from the car stunt show. He is currently showing of some serious dancing skills on the streets. He supports himself (and possibly a family) thanks to the generous people of Japan. Previous statistics have shown that street performers make quite a hefty sum of money. But with the economic crisis, will people be as generous? More as the world attempts to recover from the financial crisis...

That's all I have for tonight. Come back Sunday (maybe Monday) for a short story I'm writing based on the words:
Desk
Sun
Damn
Miscellaneous
Player

Until then, good night ladies and gentlemen.

Thoughts, Crank, Prom, Superheroes, Labeling

2009-05-15T00:02:00.009+08:00

I'm annoyed, I'm slightly tired, I haven't had Coke in the past 10 hours. My goddamn internet refuses to cooperate with me. And for some reason it's only my blog (I guess higher authorities are afraid of what I might be able to cook up - a perfect shit storm).

Yet here I am, about to bring you another update on stuff.
First of all, a couple of things on my mind:
1. When will the Mystery Hu write something (over at http://thehotrod.blogspot.com/).
2. REO Speedwagon's "Keep on Loving You" (especially in the context of "Crank: High Voltage").
3. Wanting to add music to this blog but failing. Then finally getting some comprehensive instructions from fellow-blogger (at http://goeshomewritesblogtakeslife.blogspot.com/) but, like I mentioned before, internet is being a bitch so I cannot do anything.
4. How awesome "Crank: High Voltage" was.
5. Chemistry and Spanish exams coming up, but I'm not able to study.
6. Girls.

Oh, man. I can't get over how awesome "Crank: High Voltage" is. It's even more over-the-top than the previous movie, proving that the directors Neveldine/Taylor are batshit crazy. In a good way. These guys have managed to take the concept of Grand Theft Auto and apply it to a movie. It's just 90 minutes of action, sex, humor, randomness, and AWESOME.
For those who haven't heard about the movie, here's a brief synopsis from imdb:
"Chelios faces a Chinese mobster who has stolen his nearly indestructible heart and replaced it with a battery-powered ticker that requires regular jolts of electricity to keep working."

If you're looking for a way to unwind on a Friday evening, look no further. Although, I highly recommend you watch "Crank" first, as the sequel picks up only seconds after the end of the first one.

"Chicken and broccoli."

Back to the real world - prom is getting closer...

Get ready for some intense partyin'!

On the superhero front: Spider-Man was recently spotted doing stunts in Japan. It's not too big of an attraction, but sources confirm that he gets paid enough to pay his rent and buy some food. This is just one of many examples of superheroes using their abilities to try and earn an income during the hard times we're facing.

Speaking of Spider-Man, a while ago it came into my attention that my name appears in one of the panels in the comic book (either Amazing Spider-Man (vol.2) #58 or Amazing Spider-Man #500; part of the "Happy Birthday" story arc).

Take a look at the bottom right of the image (click for larger size). The tombstone says
RIP
AUNT MAY
LOVING AUNT
DEARLY MISSED
But due to the rain effects, the "DEARLY" kind of looks like "PEARU". Pretty neat.

Finally, I'd like to address labeling. In my opinion, it's stupid, lame, mindless. I mean, you try to discuss stuff with people, but sometimes they just refuse to do so and immediately place you in some category. "Devil-worshiper", "Nazi", "Communist", "Republican", "Liberal"...some sort of box. I don't like it, really. It's hypocritical since the people themselves refuse to think outside of their boxes and consider alternatives. Also, once you place a person in some category, you associate other stuff they haven't done with them.
I don't have many rock solid opinions - I sometimes just adapt to circumstances and present new points-of-view to arguments. Often over-the-top, radical ones.
I don't mean to say you shouldn't be a conformist. Hell, these days being a non-conformist is almost being conformist. What you should do is listen to the people around you, discuss stuff with them, and if you don't subscribe to a particular point of view, just say so or ignore it. Don't be closed-minded, 'cause funny thing is - what you think is not always right. In the end, there might not even be a "right" - there's just you and me.
The only label-like things I believe in is stuff like "awesome", "badass", "nice", "terrible", "motherfucker", "cunt". These express the level of agreement or disagreement with a given view. No placing in people in any particular metaphorical boxes.

Well, it's getting really late and a guy like me could use all the beauty sleep he can get.

'night, ladies and gentlemen!

Superheroes, Prom, S. Darko

2009-05-10T22:26:00.004+08:00

Much excitement tonight. Not only because I have my English Paper II tomorrow, but because there's a lot going on at the moment (alright, so it's also because I have no exams for the rest of the week).

First of all, all is not well on the superhero front. The economic crisis is affecting superheroes around the world. As unemployment increases, superhero civilian identities were bound to be affected eventually. With their income gone, they can devote more time to fighting crime, however...a man's gotta eat sometime, yeah? Previously they did their heroic deeds out of a sense for justice, but times seem to be changing. More as the story develops...

On a more positive side, prom's comin' up soon...

It's gonna be AWESOME!

Also, I watched "S. Darko" tonight. It was actually much better than I expected. I'd say it's kind of a chick-flick tribute to "Donnie Darko" (there's lots of references to the previous movie and it's from the point-of-view of Donnie's sister, Samantha). The dialogue seemed kind of stiff and random at times, and not everything was tied up by the end, but overall the entire experience wasn't too shabby. It wasn't as good as "Donnie Darko", but I definitely recommend a look.

Well, that's it for now. Check back for more awesome updates in the future.

Cheers!

And Birthday Wishes Too!

2009-05-07T23:05:00.000+08:00

Today was also my brother's birthday. Actually, since he was born in Estonia around 4pm, that should mean his birthday started about 2 hours ago. So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAN!

Fun fact: his real name is Pärtel Unga. Yes, the dots on the "a" are essential - completely different pronunciation than Partel. If you're curious, ask him to tell you his real name - the Estonian way :)

Cheers!

First Post and Exams

2009-05-07T20:13:00.000+08:00

Awesome was born on May 29, 1990, in a small hospital in Tallinn, Estonia. Today, he roams the Earth. The hospital has been transformed into a bank.

No, I'm not a drug addict. The "Coke" referred to in the title of my blog is "Coca Cola". Although, a couple of weeks ago, my brother and I went to this restaurant in Beijing, opened the menu and discovered "Cock" in the drinks section. We ordered two of these "Cocks" but it turned out to be just the usual Coca Cola (Coke).

I drink Coke, I write on my old keyboard, I post blog. There's not much to it.

Tonight, I'm gonna keep it pretty brief. I've got an exam to study for (read: watch TV). In fact, since the IB Math exams are almost over, here's a little picture to celebrate its end:

Good night, ladies and gentlemen!