I AM ONE // Happy birthday blog

Birthday Bumps!!!

So a year ago I was just arriving in South Africa for the 2010 FIFA world cup and figured it would be useful to have an online depository for travel writing, videos, photos and your typical self-effacing and yet self-indulgent schtuff.

And here we are. Now one year later. Got out of South Africa alive, got to Canada, got a tan, saw some films, got a job, got snowed on, got another job, got a haircut and am now working on another tan.

Or at least that’s the short version. The longer version is messier but I don’t think anyone needs to read that right now. Got to keep something for the book deal right!

Bottom line I’m happy to be here in Toronto for another year. But before that… I get to go home for half of July (8th-25th)… Isle of Man, Whelans, Wicklow, Connemara, Inis Meain, Tesco Donore Rd, Dundalk train station, Cineworld Dublin, my roland synth, the atlas piano, bus windows, vintage cars… here I come!

In the mean time here are some noted posts and awards. Unsurprisingly some kid called Nigel wins all of them.

First ever post (#1 of 56)

Cape Town is, eh, “ready” for the World Cup [June 8 2010] (and didn’t it do well!)

Most popular post (530 views)

Bob Dylan at 70 // a personal reflection… [May 23 2011] (fighting an addiction)

Post most in need of being re-titled…

Ryan Giggs loves yoga [Apr 15 2011] needs to become Ryan Giggs is a raging sex addict who happens to have a yoga DVD.

Favourite “woo look at me I’m at a film festival” post

My TIFF 2010 movie schedule! [Sep 5 2010] (Gosling. Williams. Mulligan. Franco. Herzog. Yummy.)

Most under-rated examples of photographs taken while driving and not concentrating on the road

From Durban to Jozi, photos LITERALLY from the road [Jul 1 2010] (slideshow link) // Original post here

Best political blog, by best… I mean only

Garret Fitzgerald’s glasses // 1984 – 2011 [May 19 2011] (myopically inspiring)

Least favourite piece

Movie review: The Sunset Limited [Mar 8 2011] (metaphysics. death. yawn.)

My favourite posts (in reverse order…)

5) This one goes out to the one I love… [May 31 2011] (sufjan ftw)

4) Top 5…. Dead wrestlers [Apr 3 2011] (macho man would now knock Mr. Perfect out of the list.. need evidence?)

3) Villagers | Live @ The Drake Underground, Toronto, Sept 27th 2010 [w/ Lost in the Trees] [Sep 29 2010] (Who doesn’t love Conor O’Brien)

2) Can Manchester United score? They always score… [May 27 2011] (they didn’t)

1) “You aint gonna lose your life brother, maybe just your wallet, eh!” – Johannesburg thoughts & photos [Jul 7 2010] (fire, robots, gold, Madiba)

And there we have it. Here’s to another year of inane warblings…