long awaited new post, and promise.

First of all I'd like to apologise for not updating as frequently as my loyal readers (a grand total of 2) would like it. And with this post I want to make a promise too, that's I'll update this space at the minimum once every week. It's going to be a nonsensical blog that's totally detached from my real life (I'm pretty serious when it comes to everyday life) and I strive to put a "pseudo-surrealism" (and occasionally sadistic) twist into what happens around me and what my pseudo-personality will think when it happens to him. Whatever I write here is not my personal view, it's the viewpoints of DJ deMarco, so find him if he wrote something that you do not agree with. You can write fan/hate mail to the following address:

DJ deMarco
Olav M. Troviks vei. 36
H0102
Oslo 0864, Norway

That's about as far as the disclaimer will go.
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DJ deMarco's world

DJ deMarco (hereby represented by DJ dM) is now located in Oslo, Norway where he's doing his exchange program. Up till 6th August 2008, the furthest and longest he's been away from home is in Taiwan, where he spent 3 weeks with the millitary. The 5 months from 6th August will be a eye opener from all perspectives.

He's already been to Spain and seen the Mediterranean Sea and his first topless beach. DJ dM finds the Mediterranean Sea somewhat a disappointment as he thought he got a better deal looking at the Andaman Sea off the coast of Phuket, and he certainly did not enjoy looking at the sights of the topless beach, from the rotten bananas and rambutans to the ripe soursops, no, not even the young and fresh ones. Durians are to his flavour, but Europeans do not have a durian eating culture. It led him to think about aging issues that his home country is facing. In his opinion, the Caucasians face a more drastic aging process than most Asians. Some Asians look 40 when they are 60, most caucasians look 60 when they are only 40, poor thing? No, it's somewhat a tradeoff if you ask him, between 15-30, caucasian women look stunning most of the time, by the time they blow out their 30th candle, their best years are behind them. In contrast, Asian (namely East Asian) women tend to withhold their bloom until 18, and bloom for a long time, peaking probably in the late 30s. DJ dM feels good that he's spending his 23rd year on Earth in a caucasian country, and the rest of his life domiciled in the far east.

One weird thought floating around in the brain of DJ dM recently is the obsession with shaving the beards off old-looking beggars on the streets. Firstly, with the beard, it's very unhygienic, especially when these beggars usually do not have a home and proper showering facilities. Secondly, the facade that the beard gives them allows them to be more brazen when asking the public for money, fuelling the vicious cycle, condemning them to a life of begging. Thirdly, the beard obscures the beggars themselves from their real faces, if they wake up looking like a proper man, they might get a proper job.

When in foreign lands for extended periods, the most comforting thing is to have friends and family around to drive the loneliness away. On the other hand, close quarters living with friends with different sets of habits and routines formed over 20+ years under vastly different environments can prove to be a challenge. Accepting their weird habits, different way of doing things, different way of making decisions, making different decisions regarding the same matter are just the tip of the iceberg in close-quarters living. Give and take, some giving more, some taking more, maintaining the delicate balance, tailoring different reactions to pacify different personalities. Humans generally are not very gregarious, at critical moments, they either bind to their immediate loved ones, or roll up into a ball. On ship it's like this, and it's increasing looking like this here in Oslo. This is very tough, getting tougher, but what can't kill DJ dM makes him stronger right?

-kiam insert-
Curbs sacked. Good riddance? Well, I wasn't very sure about Curbs in the first place. Since Harry Redknapp left in '01, it's rumoured that the Hammers have started courting Alan. Glenn Roeder, then Alan Pardew, finally they got their man in '06. Is Alan really that good? the messiah that they say he is? Whatever it is, Harry Redknapp will always be remembered as the man who did not know how to use the future England squad (which manager knows how to use Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, Carrick, Lampard and Defoe in one team please raise up your hands). In short, Red-faced Harry laid waste to our golden generation. Glenn Roeder brought us up to seventh heaven, and then had brain tumour the same season West Ham went down. Pardew brought us up from the Championship and played some average and occasionally brilliant football. Highs and lows were abound, catching the eye of the mega rich. Investments came in and with money, comes the initial instability, Pardew was booted because the Hammers were not good enough for the money spent. And finally, West Ham got their man, 6 years after they began showing their interest. Was it worth the wait? Imo, big fat no. Pards and Curbs were managers of the same mold, West Ham wasn't much better off with Curbs. With a managerial shortlist of Slavan Bilic, Gianfranco Zola, Roberto Donadoni and Michael Laudrup, I'm happy to say that we will not be replacing an apple with another apple. My first choice is Slavan Bilic, he has managed and done well at Croatia, and have played before at Upton Park, so he knows about the club culture, the fans would warm to him easier too. However, I wouldn't mind if Michael Laudrup gets it too. Well, I hope the Hammers board can sort out this merry-go-round circus by appointing the right man to lead them out of it. As a lifelong fan, I can only hope our time will come.
-kiam out-

The weather in Norway is getting harsher and harsher as the days goes by. There was some sunny days in August, but it's getting scarcer and the bitterly cold wind is starting to make DJ dM feel light headed. DJ dM has been out to sea and been exposed to the elements before, and the climate in Norway is not going to faze him.

AND IT SHALL NOT!!