february 2017 finds is coming right in time. even if it was a short month, my list is way longer than usual.
1.on january 31st, at 10pm, some romanian politicians tried to forcefully run an emergency ordinance exempting them from former accusations since it decriminalized any action of corruption that did not exceed 50,000 euro. yeah…
so as soon as i heard, full of anger and disappointment, i jumped into a cab to go protest against this in front of the government. even if it was late and 10 degrees below, i was only one of the 15,000 angry people who showed up and filled up the square.
the protests are still on and they gathered the most people in romanian history. we went daily to the square and froze and socialized and screamed and made fun of the sad situation we are in while the politicians try to find a way to save their asses.
the picture above was taken on the first sunday and it shows a few hundred thousand telephone lights in the square. the following sunday, we recreated the romanian flag with colourful bits and light and last sunday, the flag of the european union.
the ordinance was removed for good so the will of the people was done. but this mess is far from over: we need to watch over these treacherous bastards in power.
2. because of the protests, i’ve been binge listening to old favourites rage against the machine. people say that the band is more relevant now that ever and i agree.
3. roots and refuse/resist by sepultura also looped this months, due to the same reason.
4. i found out about chewing gum in vogue – they ran an interview with the main character and writer, michaela coel. i watched both series. try it, you may like it!
5. maybe you have already seen this short film, ten meter tower by maximilien van aertryck and axel danielson. it’s been doing the rounds on social media, but i like it and i think it deserves a look.
6. since i’ve been having my eye on at least part of the stuff coming out of korea, i came across keith ape. the only song i like so far is the trippy diamonds below.
7. this is one of the videos created by a korean tourism organization called imagine your korea in order to attract visitors from abroad. it features local star lee min-ho and it was directed by wayne peng. i’m now trying to see all the videos on their channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJVlHwpS6Nw
8. this is a series also made by imagine your korea meant to show korea’s beauty throughout the 4 seasons. i loved it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khWXOWMnvhU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzvvXE8oNo8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2Kgxy0Q0Gg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kie1Y30ry4Y
9. i’ve said it before: not being able to see the outside tour in 1995 is one of my regrets – bowie shared the stage with nine inch nails and it must have been unbelievable. here you have an interview where bowie and trent discuss their collaboration. i love seeing them in such synergy: their connection is obvious from all the smiles and shared glances. awww!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b24ODDefa9Y
10. and this is another interview with the two. i can’t believe it’s been 22 years…
11. and this is a third related video, only this time is only trent reznor in a collage of interviews that’s very interesting, especially if you’re a fan but not necessarily.
12. smoke city had a big hit 20 years ago. it’s called underwater love and it’s from an album called flying away. i love the album and i’ve rediscovered it recently and listened to it repeatedly. i’m pretty sure the mix of english, french and portuguese is one of the reasons i liked it. enjoy!
13. even if you are not a cat lover you can enjoy simon’s cat funny animation shorts. i post below his latest one!
14. i’m not a madonna fan. but this live version of drowned world is so good.
15. i went and saw this one in a cinema. well… 50 shades darker assures the public that fairy tales are alive and well in the 21st century. if it’s sex you’re after, you can get better elsewhere. but if you’re looking for validation for being a mousy girl waiting quietly for a knight in white armour with a money, power and a difficult past, this will be right up your alley! you’ve been warned lol.
16. t2 trainspotting is a proper sequel. employing the same cast and crew, it continues its job of depicting the social realities of scotland both via the background as well as via the intertwining lives of its anti-heroes. expectedly, it’s a lot meta, endlessly self-referencing but it’s kinda subtle most of the times. for me, it was a lot about identifying with the characters in their older and still none the wiser state.
i remember reading porno, the book sequel back in 2002 when it was released. now, all i want is read both books and see the first trainspotting again.
17. tokio hotel have a new album and they’ll start touring to promote it soon. they grew even further from their initial style but i see no problem with that. i’ve been playing this on repeat ever since last week when they posted it. the song was written by bill alone.
what have you been up to this month?
photo and video credits: copywright owners, protest pic by dan mihai balanescu
