Mariachi baby!

Today was, in fact, my very first study day. Did I study much?

The answer to that would have to be no. It was too nice a day for that. I intend to spend all night studying however - into the early hours of the morning when I have to actually get to school on time and get my double shot of examinations to immunise me against becoming a homeless man. I mean person.

Anyway, what did I do today however? Good question. I was actually feeling incredibly cultural, I was feeling Mexican. I downloaded some Mariachi music and read about Mexican festivals and celebrations and foods and beverages. It was splendidos. It was a sunny afternoon and the sunlight hung low in my room, filtered through my window by a canvas blind. A light such as that would normally depress me (in my sense of the word, I mean depressed not morbid) but today I imagined it was just another sunny day down Mexico way. Visions of crowded streets and masses of people travelling along dirt roads, entering old buildings, drinking Coronas...It was rather lovely. I searched online to try and find a hand-loomed Mexican poncho but they cost a lot, which I did not expect. I pretended my duvet was one, and I drifted off into a mid-afternoon nap which is another Mexican tradition. They call it siesta.


I do love cultures, and often find myself immersing myself in them. Okay I am going to have to interrupt myself right here. My unbelievably discourteous neighbours are playing disgusting HIPHOPBEATTTZZZZZ arrogantly loud, and the constant thud of whatever synthesised bass they use in such music IS DRIVING ME INSANE! To the point where I have to write in capital letters.

That is one culture I do not enjoy. The hip hop/rap/"rnb" crap people listen to these days. I despise the use of the acronym "rnb" to describe voluptuous skanks singing slow and monotonous pop music. It is not rhythm and blues, it is crap. I don't mean to sound racist when I say this but just because they are black, does not mean they are singing the blues! To sing the blues you have to have soul. I apologise deeply if this is how they find out but people like Mariah Carey or any of these people simply do not have souls and therefore could never ever sing like people that do (like Otis, Ray Charles, Little Richard...).

Okay so now that I am sufficiently side-tracked let me get back to culture. I love nothing more than cultural festivities and was very annoyed that I missed most of my town's latest cultural exhibits. I missed some this year and I'm sure there was another. I hope I haven't missed the Greek Festival! I did go to the Italian festival however it was not as Italian as one might assume.

Oh, and I watched Eurovision about 2 weeks ago. If that isn't culture I don't know what is. The point is I love the spirit of a festival. The music and the stalls and the foods. The scents and wares of cultures far far away kept alive in our community with plastic folding tables and travelling gypsies. It is truly something to behold.


I must leave now - feed my goldfish Ziggy and study chemistry and accounting and maths whilst listening to some Mariachi and wishing I was in Tijuana smoking Marijuana dancing El Jarabe Tapatio with Antonios Banderas.

Adios!

Me with Charlotte ("Sally Cinnamon") and Courtney, from the Townsville Bulletin.