Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: dubai, karama, anthropology, brownbook, headspace, summer, future gutter status, uae, ghost of petrodollar bubble past, dead time, evan collisson, estrangement, expat anxiety, deira, skateboarding
Dubai again and a strange affection for a city that I guess is my home, little as it does want me here. Jobs here seem impossible at first hunt, perhaps I should look to skip and dip on standby tickets for the next two months? I will definitely be in Cairo (and not Berlin) for a fortnight sandwiched in June, and Kashmir/Mumbai for the first 2-3 weeks of July. Hopefully finding an affordable (!) sublet in NYC for August and couchsurfing for the last dredges of July til I can inshallah move in. My life is currently packed into six boxes in the radio station – I fascinatingly had five last year and four the year before. I suspect the number could go down though as I have scores of books to disperse (like theory, like cats) into the atmosphere, and several boxes lined with wake-up-an-hour-before-kickout-time dump and run panic. [you can't go home again..]
Filed under: consumerism, dubai, fashion | Tags: the revolution, consumerism, fashion, dubai, cardboard, karama, ☭☭☭
There’s been a lot of cardboard in my life lately, with the near trauma of packing my life up into 5 large cardboard boxes and two suitcases, with a fridge, lamp and two guitars left over. Last minute panic ensued in trying to find a place for these. They’re now split between someone’s bedroom and the office of a radio station. I suspect the fridge might have grown a good layer of mould in the meanwhile; this can only contribute to the smell in there.
[above - my friend Melinda in my old dormroom, circa finals. I think that cardboard box in question held props for a film my roommate was doing]At that I’d like to dislodge the drop-being -a-film-major-never-touch-a-camera-again syndrome this summer, please. Some more cardboard from Karama wanderings:
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And speaking of cardboard I came across this today – when homeless takeover the world: the cardboard revolution. Personally I would kind of hope that said revolution would be a little messier and far less consumerist but there’s some interesting stuff. Seems like all this would need is a scalpel and some spare cardbaord? Next diy ahoy perhaps.
I kind of like their manifesto: “This site is a sarcastic glimpse into the future of product design, taken from the perspective of when homeless take over the world. Soon, in a time not far from now, things will change and the people of the streets will take back the world from their evil wealthy oppressors. It’s only a matter of time until biological warfare or misguided science students release an unstoppable plague on the world. There will be blood shed and the spread of death and destruction will be unstoppable. The only survivors of this horrible plague will be… the cardboard people. After years of suffering they will have earned their immunity. They will be the new rulers and cardboard will be our gold.
Prepare yourselves!!!!!!!
Live derelict, buy cardboard……….”
Filed under: diy, dubai, fish | Tags: dubai, karama, fish, diy, buttons, cricket
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In Dubai now/ a quick DIY.Buttons sewn onto black laceish topshop shoes. Buttons are kind of exciting; there’s so much that can be done with them. And a gorgeous lace + mother of pearl buttoned/ pearled shawl that someone gave my mother but she’ll never wear so I shall yay. Here, I’ve been mostly watching IPL cricket for good part of every evening, something somewhat novel. I get back to NYC in 2 days and I am told my (free!) summer housing room is has a cotton pink door and a cream circa puke linoleum floor. This could also be exciting. Also some gratitutous fish pictures from an anternoon traipsing around Karama.
(pictures mine, click for larger/flickr)
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Filed under: anthro, fashion | Tags: fashion, karama, anthropology, appropriation, m.i.a., bataille
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why so insanely fab? somehow not unlike the mad street shops down in karama, hugely overpriced of course. I’m also so reminded of those Balenciaga gold plate armour leggings – wonder what could be done with a bit of work and some pyramid studs/ metallic spraypaint/ gold foil to old shinguards? or perhaps even some blinged-out kneepads..
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I don’t know how I feel about her hyper-appropriation in her music, but aesthetically, ooh. I’m somewhat reminded of Deleuze and control societies/revolutionary becoming, and Bataille’s call for irrationality/headlessness. At that, I’d love to look at this and urban guerrilla theory re: fashion.. perhaps a possible thesis topic?
Bataille, from the Sacred Conspiracy: “It is time to abandon the world of the civilized and its light. It is to late to want to be reasonable and learned, which has led to a life without attractions. Secretly or not, it is necessary to become other, or else cease to be.
Human life is defeated because it serves as the head and reason of the universe. Insofar as it becomes that head and reason it accepts slavery. If it isn’t free, existence becomes empty or neuter, and if it is free, it is a game. The earth, as long as it only engendered cataclysms, trees, and birds was a free universe; the fascination with liberty became dulled when the earth produced a being who demanded necessity as a law over the universe. Man nevertheless remained free to no longer respond to any necessity. He is free to resemble all that is not he in the universe. He can cast aside the idea that it is he or God who prevents everything else from being absurd. “
