Golden Lady

Meet Goldie, the goldfish. She turns 1 today and was a gift from my pretty friends, Line and Katharina for Persian New Years last year (I'll get back to the significance of goldfish and new years in the next post). Originally she had a friend, called Mini Me, but due to a sad suicide incident that we don't really talk about in front of Goldie, she is no longer with us. This is the longest I have ever kept a goldfish alive. It might be due to the fact that I had to put it up for adoption when I was leaving for NY last summer and it's been under the wonderful care of my niece Frida (3) and nephew Amin (12). Then again, that's how we lost Mini Me.


Don't worry, softies. Goldie has a new chubby friend that will get introduced to you all very soon. He has a special role to play at this years New Years.

-bahareh

Yay, Spring!

I was awaken this morning at 5:30 am by a very familiar sound. I couldn't quite figure out where I had heard that scraping hum before and I didn't wanna move so I laid there for a few minutes just listening and thinking about it. Then, out of nowhere it struck me and I jumped up and pulled the curtain aside and exhaled a silent scream. It was the snowplow. From the time I parked the car at 11pm the previous night, to the time I went to drive it again at 6:30 am - it had snowed about 20 cm (about 7 inches)! On March 21st! The insanity closed off a number of roads in the area, trains were canceled and well...we had to deal with snow on March 21st! You probably don't get how much it really was since my camera couldn't capture the seriousness of it, but it kinda was a show stopper and it was far worse a couple of hours south of Oslo. I even had to pull my winter coat back out of the closet. Kinda sad, really. Check out the video if you don't take my word for it.

My footprints were the first in the snow this morning. Kinda looks like I had skis on.

-bahareh

Happy New Year / Eid Mobarak

Today Persians all over the world celebrate Norouz which is the mark of a new year and the beginning of spring. We now enter 1387 AP (Anno Persico). It is almost a national tradition to do an extensive spring cleaning of the house (Jels, I'll leave that up to you this year) and purchase at least one new set of clothes (check!) and finally leave their clean home in their new clothes to visit the elders in the family and then other family and friends to exchange gifts. This continues for 12 days and on the 13th day families (=EVERYONE) leave their house for a picnic outdoors to celebrate nature.

...to be continued (with pictures!) later.

-bahareh

"Ny - jork"

It must be my lucky day! Is that vodka from Norge?!! Yessir. Who else to thank but my friendly global neighbors Jonas & Morten (aka Morty ) who are here visiting from The Land Of Popular Socialism for a few days.

Why? "..cause we just looked up cheap tickets from Oslo and since the American dollar's so low we said, 'fuck it! NYC!'" - Jonas.

That's nice.We also spent alotta time doing alotta nothing.
Please observe:And what we were trying to do is....better. Here's an example below. It's at the very end of the music video - i was just introduced to these guys 2hrs ago; "OnkLP"

Enjoy:


- jelsen

The Audacity Of [some] Hip Hop

- jelsen

Still Can't Get Enough, Please

word.

- jelsen

Prospect Heights' Late-Nite Sights

I found these interesting while strolling through Prospect Heights last night.
- jelsen

Black Sheep Minus 1, Plus 2 More

For the sake of not being inconsistent, the pre-partying stretching technique was again applied. Hasani was well prepared.
DRES of Black Sheep rep'd hard, indeed. It was my first time seeing him live and im glad i got the chance. Unfortunately for me, i was slacking on my Native Tongues Posse trivia i was expected the other 50% of the herd, Mr Lawnge....but, they split up ages ago.

Some special guests helped me move pass the initial confusion. 1st up - Rhymefest. Now, this brother is a nasty emcee. Clever lyrics galore and he presence is crazy energetic. I am now a believer. 2nd - Ladybug Mecca (previously of Digable Planets). Uhm.....woah. I'll just leave it at that.

Bahareh and i saw the entire group in Miami over 3 years ago. Actually, that could have been our very first concert together. Not bad, eh?
After the show we headed to Prospect Heights to Whitney's house party. Rodney flaunted his munchies combo of choice.

At the house, more self-sedation was then applied. Consistency is key!The weekend, oddly, just sped right passed me.

Til next,
- jelsen

Pretty fingers

My 3 year old niece, Frida, decided she would give me a manicure today. Then I got to give her one and when I was done she took a long look at it and said very seriously; "I did a better job, auntie, but don't be sad - I'm a princess so everything I do is always better."


After our nails dried up, we went for a long walk in the gorgeous weather and on our way back we visited the horses that live next door. I wanted Frida to pose with them for a picture but she reminded me that last time she did that, one of them nibbled on her mitten, so there's no way she'll put herself through that again. We went home and ate ice cream instead.



-bahareh

I Know You Got Soul

Last night, the 18th Letter (Rodney) and i did our stretching routine in preparation for the night of tomfoolery that was to come. We headed to Diamond Girl & Lichiban's house warming party (i forgot to bring flowers, sorry ladies) a couple blocks up.
By far the coolest bottle opener i've ever seen. i sorta have a thing for hands.
What a mighty good time. Lots of mind elevating talk that i forgot to take notes of - but more will come! And clementines, oh my.
That's right.

- jelsen

Intercontinental Mail x2

More mail for me! hooray! The first package is from my buddy Nora in Hamburg. She travels to nyc a lot and a couple months ago finally got to meet Bahareh. For the longest time she didnt believe she actually existed outside of my imagination. ha.

These are pics from that visit.
The second package was from my dutch homie, Benjamin, in amsterdam. He works for Frame Magazine and i just fucking love this publication. It's focus is primarily on international interior design, architecture, and they dabble in some product design.

These cats DO NOT PLAY.

The layouts of every issue is like....uhm....a well executed experiment. Graphically, photographically, typographically, and everything else-ically. I dream of working with these guys. The printing methods they switch up for the covers are always exciting, too.

The only way i get em is if he sends em to me; these bitches are expensive.
That's my re-refurbished baby nicely nestled back at the casa.

- jelsen

Click Clack Click Spacebar?

Yesterday, i finally got to pick up my baby at Tekserve. Their store is cluttered with day-to-day stuff but they also place vintage hardware throughout the space.

Check out this Burrough's typewriter. The logo is ridiculous. Man, and that arrow.

- jelsen

More Trucking Graphics

This one hardened my nipples immediately. My only beef with this mark is its redundancy (CS&S logo w/ CS&S text). I also dig the lil' truck - the main logo would def work without it but i do enjoy the playfulness of a truck drawn on a truck owned my a trucking company.

At least they didnt place a huge 'TM' or 'R' or....

- jelsen

Happy Easter!

Norway doesn't separate church and state, so we all get about 10 extra days off for it every year. The kick off was today. Easter is my favorite season in Oslo because it clears up and feels like a totally different city once everyone has left. Lovely.

The average Norwegian goes to his cabin or a ski resort and proceeds to ski all day and drink all night - or vice versa...or any other combination of alcohol and ski gear you can think of. Kids get their own little buzz going when they get their easter eggs filled to the rim with candy and run around in constant sugar highs.Yes, for 10 days. And although I am very much against the combination of sugar and children, I surrender to tradition and give my niece and nephew these "little things" every year as well.

Hey, I'm trying to win the "aunt of the year" award, h'ok?

-bahareh

Paper cuts

I got an accidental day off work today and ended up (among other fun activities) paper shopping with my best friend Katharina. We found the most gorgeous stuff at "Norway Designs" and the "Paper Gallery". After searching high and low for the perfect little gift for my awesome friend and self proclaimed paper freak, Stephanie, I finally narrowed it down to a few choices. Hopefully she'll dig them cuz they're already in the mail! The rolls and the bottom blue one are from Italy, the pink and gold is hand made in Nepal and the crazy pattern is handmade in India...and since they all made a detour through Norway before they find Lady Land in the States, we can pretty much say they traveled the world to get to her. Enjoy, sweets!

-bahareh

Monkey gave birth to an elephant.

During my field trip of fun today, I found a new thrift shop that I'm sure I'll be a frequent customer to in the near future. They happen to sell beaded art from my favorite charity, Monkeybiz , and since elephants just happen to be my favorite animals...I had to snap some pictures.

-bahareh

Spring IS coming!

And I present to you; the blooming proof from Oslo this morning. Spring is my season. I'm even named after it, so our love was kinda predestined.

-spring