SOJA - SXSW Night 1 at The Parish

SOJA at The Parish - SxSW 2011

I have been a fan of SOJA since I caught them on tour with my boys Rebelution last year. The vocals and horns are very unique, and have a sound that is very soothing and distinct. This was a show that I have been looking forward to for awhile now, and a great way to start off SXSW 2011!

SOJA will always hold a special place in my heart due to the extent that we listened to them on our honeymoon last year in Europe (video here). I made one mix cd for Italy (I wasn't expecting no Ipod hook ups in the rental car), and with well over 15-20 hours spent in the car traveling with some our best friends Magnus and Sofia (who were amazing hosts that live in Sweden), we listened to that mix cd until it was haunting us in our sleep, and ingrained into our memory. The wonderful thing about this is now anytime the four of us hear any song off of that cd we will think about Italy and our wonderful trip throughout Europe.

Track 7 on Mankie Mix Europe: SOJA - Decide You're Gone




Track 1 on Mankie Mix Europe: SOJA - I don't Wanna Wait



Live Happily Ever Now!

Technology, My iPhone, Danes, and Verizon Fail

Chairs at Copenhagen Airport (Danes!)

I am a certified gadget nerd. Just ask the secondary screening guys in Denmark who I met this summer. When they went through my backpack and asked me what everything was (underwater camera, external hard drives, flip camera, housing for gadgets, mini tri-pods, three iPods, two iPhones, hdmi cables, two laptops, and on and on), I was semi embarrassed that they kept pulling metal object after metal object out. Half the stuff they were busy playing with and admiring when I'm pretty sure they should have been checking for security issues. On my second laptop they said "we're going to have to have you turn this on," in a stern Danish accent. I asked them why, and they said "to see if you have any good porn on there." After a split pause, we all the laughed it up, and I actually enjoyed the secondary screening. True story, love the Danes!

One aspect that revolutionized my gadget life back in 2009 was when I went from a Blackberry Fail Storm, to an iPhone. I held out with Verizon for months (maybe years) hoping that "Big Red" would get an iPhone, but it never happened. I checked iPhone and Mac rumor websites daily (still do). I downloaded crappy apps for my Blackberry trying to make it look like an iPhone, but really it was just a chunky sloppy depressing situation. This held me back and always made me sub-par when it came to being a certified electronics geek. It was kind of like a quote my dad once told me about Southwest Airlines, "the worst day in the A group is still better than the best day in the B group". I was stuck in the B group without an iPhone. Making it harder to fulfill my destiny, I had 4 lines with Verizon (now have 5 with AT&T), so the fee would be substantial to quit...

Long story short, I quit, paid some serious cash to Verizon, and Leyla and I love our iPhones (we are an all Apple family). I feel bad for those who are just now getting their iPhones this month for Verizon (and it looks like Big Red will slow them down).

Spot the gadgets and dogs

There is seriously no way I could have waited until now to have my favorite device. Now my server and media center? That's a different story.

Cheers!

Live Happily Ever Now!

Germany, aka Hamburg and the Reeperbahn

On the final leg of our tour, we set out on the 4 hour drive from Malmö to Hamburg. Looking for my German ancestors, along with the largest liquor store in Europe, we were sure to be in for a good time. A good time found us at the Reeperbahn, aka the red light district. Home to the Beatles, and the last live sex show in Germany, it's hard to imagine that such a wealthy and classy city, could have such a forbidden zone right in the heart of the city. We had a lovely dinner in the ritzy harbor (ask Leyla about the mice on the patio), and made our way to the Reeperbahn. What happened after that? Well, the saying is, what happens in the Reeperbahn, stays in the Reeperbahn. I'll just leave it at that. But there is a street there that only Men and hookers can walk on, interesting stuff. On the way back we stopped at this huge 5 story barge that sold alcohol, candy, beer, and loaded up Magnus and Sofia in preparation for the cold Swedish winter ahead.

    Club Safari (Live Sex Show) and the bright lights of the night.

German Sign by Leyla

Nightclub in Reeperbahn

Fancy Fruity German Drinks

More Hip Nightclub Action

Beer and Wine and Candy and Tobacco!

5 or 6 Stories, I can't remember, It's way more confusing than Ikea!

                                           

Leaving with some Beer! A happy Danish family!

Italy Summer 2010

When we stepped out in Italy it meant a lot of things to Leyla and I. We have romanticized about living in this relaxed and refined Country for quite some time (landed in Austin instead). Everything seemed so alive, and vivid. My laser eye surgery definitely came in handy in this country, as everything seemed to be larger than life, and looked like it came straight out of a fairy tale. We saw so many things in Italy, from Florence, to Tuscany, to Elba, it was an amazing week. On a side note, I nearly choked to death on a piece of bread at while laughing so hard as to how sweet life can be when you are being spoon fed lavender infused chocolate by a wine guru named Stefano.

Leyla's amazing eye!

Ancient Wine Castle

Leyla Loves Doors and bikes

Dinner, Wine, and Friends--- and intense roof

This is where the best grapes live, Tuscany!

On the Island of Elba

Peyronie

I haven't forgot about Europe 2010!

Barcelona, It's more than just a club!

Viva Barcelona! One of our most anticipated destinations on the trip, we looked forward to the culture, beaches, people, tapas, and relaxed Siesta style way of life! In a place where Leyla's Spanish helped us navigate the ramblas, it was a great time to be in Spain, considering they had just won the world cup!



This was the first time on the trip that I was able to have two toilets! The second one you could even adjust the temperature of the water. Spanish luxury at its finest.



Nightclubbing in Barcelona goes all night, here we are at the brand new W hotel in Barcelona. This is the view of the W tower from the beach:





We toured the city by foot and metro, and saw some amazing work by Antoni Gaudi. It was really amazing to see his passion for nature, and how he could infuse it in his architecture. Also how he died in a train accident because nobody would help him because he looked like a homeless man.



Our boy Paul Gasol was a hometown hero:



Fancy feet:




A fountain of angels:




Skype with Poppa!



Amazing Tapas and not so bad beer either:









Streetside Cafe




Drinking fountain



Pre Beach Beverages:





Blending in



So relaxed and so happy in Espana!

Pari$ - The city of expensive essentials, Buddha Bar, and Beauty

On the way to Paris, we had to drink wine in our handy wine cup holders on the plane!



Hello Paris! One of the most interesting cities in the world, and nothing is more romantic then the Eiffel Tour. If only you had 40€ left to make it to the top!




It was 4€ for a bottle of water, and 3 times that for a beer!



McCafe was a little cheaper. Good coffee and fresh pastries.



We opted for a streetside cafe on the champs elysees (18€ Champagne).



We stopped by the Quicksilver Surf Shop and saw a little slice of my roots:



We had one of the best dinners of our lives at the Buddha Bar!




We also saw every major site in Paris! From Monte Marte to the Louve:



One of our favorite paintings.



And then there is this one:



Notre Dame Cathedral.



On a side note, in my sleep I moved our flatscreen tv and hid it behind a bunch of clothes, no recollection at all. Good times in Paris! Love was in the air!